Gerard Batliner

Gerard Batliner (9 December 1928 – 25 June 2008) was an advocate and political figure from Liechtenstein who served as Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 1962 to 1970.

Batliner was born on 9 December 1928 in Eschen as the son of farmer Andreas Batliner and his mother Karolina Schafhauser as one of six children.

He studied law at the University of Fribourg and in Paris.

Batliner married Christina Negele (born 30 July 1946) on 17 July 1965 and they had two children together.

From 1956 he worked as a lawyer in Vaduz.

He was a member of the board of directors of the AHV/IV/FAK in Liechtenstein from 1959 to 1962.

Batliner was the fifth Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, from 16 July 1962 to 18 March 1970.

He succeeded the role from Alexander Frick following his resignation in July 1962.

He worked in expanding Liechtenstein's foreign affairs, particularly working towards the country's accession into the Council of Europe.

Batliner's term also included the establishment of the Liechtenstein Development Service in 1965, and the Social Welfare Act in 1967.

In 1973 Batliner was involved in the founding of the Liechtenstein Society for Environmental Protection.

In 1974 Batliner became involved in politics again where he served in the Landtag of Liechtenstein until 1982.

He served as the President of the Landtag of Liechtenstein from January 1974 to December 1977.

He was also a member of the European Commission on Human Rights from 1983 to 1990 and the head of the Liechtenstein delegation to the European Commission for Democracy through Law from 1991 to 2003.

He received honorary degrees from the University of Basel and Innsbruck.

He died in Eschen on 25 June 2008, aged 79 years old.