Johannes Kaiser (Liechtenstein politician)

{{Infobox politician

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|06|29|df=y}}

| birth_place = Eschen, Liechtenstein

| party = Progressive Citizens' Party

| children = 2

| term_start = 11 February 2001

| office = Member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein for Unterland

| spouse = {{marriage|Ruth Hasler|1990|end=divorced}}
{{marriage|Julia Kajtazaj|1999}}

| office2 = Mayor of Mauren

| termstart2 = 1991

| predecessor2 = Hartwig Kieber

| successor2 = Freddy Kaiser

| termend2 = 2003

| otherparty = Independent (2018–2019)

| image = Johannes Kaiser (cropped).jpg

| caption = Kaiser in 2024

| relations = Maria Kaiser-Eberle (sister-in-law)

}}

Johannes Kaiser (born 29 June 1958) is a politician from Liechtenstein who has served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein since 2001. He previously served as mayor of Mauren from 1991 to 2003.

Career

Kaiser was born on 29 June 1958 in Eschen as one of the five children of teacher Paul Kaiser and Brigitte Biedermann. He attended a teachers' training college in Rickenbach, Schwyz, and later trained in communication and management in St. Gallen. He worked as a primary school teacher in Ruggell, and then as a secondary school teacher in Eschen until 1991.{{Cite web |date=17 May 2021 |title=Kaiser, Johannes |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Kaiser,_Johannes?marker=Johannes+Kaiser |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}

From 1987 to 1991 Kaiser was the vice president of the Progressive Citizens' Party. He was the mayor of Mauren from 1991 to 2003.{{Cite web |last=Frommelt |first=Fabian |last2=Mayr |first2=Ulrike |date=2023 |title=Mauren |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Mauren |access-date=14 September 2024 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}} He has been a member of the Landtag of Liechtenstein since 2001. During this time, he was the Progressive Citizens' Party's spokesman in the Landtag from 2009 to 2013 and the chairman of the finance committee from 2003 to 2009 and again from 2013 to 2017. From 2009 to 2013, 2017 to 2018, and again since 2021 he has been a member of the Liechtenstein judge selection committee.

In March 2018, Kaiser left the Progressive Citizens' Party due to personal conflicts with people in the party and rejected talks to resolve the situation.{{Cite news |date=14 March 2018 |title="Kein Anzeichen eines Konfliktes" |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/kein-anzeichen-eines-konfliktes-art-319824 |access-date=29 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}} He also resigned from the judge selection committee in June of the same year.{{Cite news |date=3 June 2018 |title=Johannes Kaiser legt Mandat nieder |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/johannes-kaiser-legt-mandat-nieder-art-332245 |access-date=29 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}} He served as an independent member of the Landtag until 27 November 2019 where, upon his own request, he was readmitted into the party. He apologised for his actions and referred to them as a "mistake", and the issue was concluded by shaking hands with prime minister Adrian Hasler.{{Cite news |date=27 November 2019 |title=Johannes Kaiser kehrt zur FBP zurück |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/johannes-kaiser-kehrt-zur-fbp-zurueck-art-405529 |access-date=29 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}} He was subsequently re-elected to the Landtag as a member of the party in 2021 and re-joined the judge selection committee the same year.

Kaiser was the leading opponent to Liechtenstein's accession to the International Monetary Fund in 2024; he campaigned against it. During this time, he was accused by prime minister Daniel Risch of spreading misinformation.{{Cite news |last=Quaderer |first=Elias |date=3 September 2024 |title=IWF-Gegner werben für nationalen Zukunftsfonds – aber eine Frage bleibt offen |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/iwf-gegner-werben-fuer-nationalen-zukunftsfonds-aber-eine-frage-bleibt-offen-art-575267 |access-date=28 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}{{Cite news |last=Schädler |first=Patrik |date=23 August 2024 |title=Regierungschef Risch fordert den Abgeordneten Kaiser auf, bei den Fakten zu bleiben |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/regierungschef-risch-fordert-den-abgeordneten-kaiser-auf-bei-den-fakten-zu-bleiben-art-574259 |access-date=29 November 2024 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}} Since 2025, he has again been the Progressive Citizens' Party's spokesman in the Landtag.{{Cite news |date=11 February 2025 |title=Johannes Kaiser wurde zum FBP-Fraktionssprecher gewählt |url=https://www.vaterland.li/liechtenstein/politik/johannes-kaiser-wurde-zum-fbp-fraktionssprecher-gewaehlt-art-589866 |access-date=11 February 2025 |work=Liechtensteiner Vaterland |language=de}}

Personal life

Kaiser married Ruth Hasler (born 6 May 1962) on 23 May 1990. His second marriage was to Julia Kajtazaj (born 13 June 1974) on 22 September 1999 and they have two children together. He is the brother-in-law of Maria Kaiser-Eberle, the mayor of Ruggell from 2015 to 2023.{{Cite web |date=6 June 2023 |title=Kaiser-Eberle, Maria |url=https://historisches-lexikon.li/Kaiser-Eberle,_Maria |access-date=29 November 2024 |website=Historisches Lexikon des Fürstentums Liechtenstein |language=de}}