Thomas Zwiefelhofer

Thomas Zwiefelhofer is a Liechtensteiner politician and member of the Patriotic Union (Vaterländische Union, VU). He served as Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein and Minister for Home Affairs, Justice, and Economic Affairs from 27 March 2013 to 2017 under Prime Minister Adrian Hasler. He has been president of the Patriotic Union since 22 March 2021. Since 2018, he has served as honorary consul general of the Czech Republic in Liechtenstein.

Zwiefelhofer began his political involvement in 2004 as chairman of the VU's local group in Vaduz. He was a member of the VU presidium from 2005 to 2017, served as municipal councilor in Vaduz from 2007 to 2011 where he acted as faction spokesperson, and was VU vice-president for the Oberland region from 2009 to 2013. In the 2013 Landtag elections, he was the top candidate for the VU. After declining to continue in government following the 2017 elections, he was awarded the Commander's Cross with Star of the Princely Liechtenstein Order of Merit in June 2017 by Hereditary Prince Alois.

Professionally, Zwiefelhofer is part of the group management of First Advisory Group and has previously worked as an architect. He is also president of the Vereinigung Liechtensteinischer Gemeinnütziger Stiftungen und Trusts (VLGST), an association promoting responsible practices among charitable foundations and trusts in Liechtenstein. He resides in Vaduz.

Early life and education

Early life

Thomas Zwiefelhofer was born on 10 December 1969 in Grabs, Switzerland.

He is the son of engineer Hanspeter Zwiefelhofer and commercial employee Christa Zwiefelhofer (née Goop), and has two sisters.

Zwiefelhofer grew up in Schellenberg, Liechtenstein, where his family has origins linked to Schellenberg and Zürich.

Education

Thomas Zwiefelhofer studied architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) from 1989 to 1995, earning his diploma as Dipl. Arch. ETH in 1995.

He later pursued legal studies at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), obtaining a licentiate in law (lic. iur. HSG) in 2000 after studying from 1998 to 2000, followed by his doctorate in law (Dr. iur. HSG) in 2007.

Political career

Involvement with the Patriotic Union

Thomas Zwiefelhofer has been a member of the Patriotic Union (Vaterländische Union, VU) since the early 2000s. He began his political career in the party in 2004, when he became chairman of the VU's local group in Vaduz.

In 2005, he joined the VU presidium, serving as a member until 2017 and contributing to party leadership during this period. From 2009 to 2013, he held the position of vice president for the Oberland region, one of the party's two vice-presidential roles.

Zwiefelhofer also represented the VU in local governance, serving as a member of the Vaduz municipal council from 2007 to 2011, where he acted as faction spokesperson.

These early roles in the party built his experience within the VU before his later progression to higher national positions.

Deputy Prime Minister (2013–2017)

Thomas Zwiefelhofer served as Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein from 27 March 2013 to 30 March 2017 in the government of Prime Minister Adrian Hasler. During this period, he was responsible for the portfolios of Interior, Justice, and Economy.

Amid the 2015 European migrant crisis, Zwiefelhofer established the Task Force Asyl in 2015 to coordinate responses to asylum-related challenges. The asylum and foreigners' laws were subsequently amended in 2017 as a direct response to the pressures from the 2015/2016 crisis.

In the area of economic policy, Zwiefelhofer oversaw the revision of the Gambling Act (Geldspielgesetz) in 2016, which shifted from a concession-based system to a police permit model and permitted the operation of casinos under defined conditions, including capital requirements and security concepts. As minister responsible for the economy, he drove this liberalization forward and defended the approach, stating that measures would be taken if too many casinos emerged.

President of the Patriotic Union (2021–present)

Thomas Zwiefelhofer was elected president of the Patriotic Union (Vaterländische Union, VU) on 22 March 2021 at the party congress, succeeding Günther Fritz. The election took place immediately following the February 2021 Landtag elections and the completion of coalition negotiations to form the government.

He has exercised the presidency on a part-time, voluntary basis while continuing his professional activities.

Under his leadership, the VU recorded strong electoral performances. In the 2023 municipal elections, the party secured 8 out of 11 executive positions across Liechtenstein's municipalities. In the 2025 Landtag elections, the VU emerged as the strongest party nationwide with an 11% lead over competitors and achieved dominance in all Unterland municipalities, resulting in the appointment of Brigitte Haas as Liechtenstein's first female Prime Minister.

On 23 February 2026, Zwiefelhofer announced his intention to step down as party president at the VU's Summer Party Congress in June 2026, after more than five years in the role. He cited an increased professional and extracurricular workload that made it difficult to balance his responsibilities, while noting that the party is well-positioned for the transition. A search committee was appointed by the VU presidium to identify and propose a successor.

Diplomatic service

Honorary Consul of Poland (2007–2013)

Thomas Zwiefelhofer served as the honorary consul of Poland in Liechtenstein from 2007 to 2013. He was appointed in late October 2007. The official opening of the honorary consulate in Vaduz took place on 11 June 2008.

Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic (2018–present)

Thomas Zwiefelhofer has served as Honorary Consul General of the Czech Republic in Liechtenstein since 2018, heading the Honorary Consulate General in Vaduz.

The honorary consulate was established in 2018, following the formalization of diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein in 2009 after decades of strained ties due to historical expropriation disputes. The role involves assisting Czech citizens in Liechtenstein (a small community of around 25 people), supporting the Czech Embassy in Bern, and promoting Czech economic, tourism, and cultural interests in the principality.

Zwiefelhofer has emphasized networking and bilateral cooperation, including facilitating cultural exchanges (such as performances by Liechtenstein-based ensembles in Czech festivals) and advising Liechtenstein residents on travel to destinations like Prague, Bohemia, and Moravia. He performs the honorary duties outside regular working hours, with varying intensity depending on events such as national holidays.

In February 2023, during bilateral political consultations in Vaduz, he was appointed to a further five-year term by the Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs, with the consulate covering the entire territory of Liechtenstein. He continues to hold the position as of the present.

Personal life

Family

Thomas Zwiefelhofer is married to Susanne Heeb, a doctor of law. The couple has three children. The family resides in Vaduz.

Residence

Thomas Zwiefelhofer resides in Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein.

He lives there with his wife and their three children.