Interesting tidbits of Leichtenstein the postage-stamp sized Principality wedged between Switzerland and Austria.

Seems it is one of 3 countries (whether Leich is a country or not is in dispute but they make they own banking laws) in the world on a list of Black Bankers (not sure what this list is but was in the reports) that helps out money launders, tax cheats, etc. with their near total secrecy of banking laws - even worse than just over the border in Switzerland it seems

This was highlighted recently in the German media when someone in the Principality's banking system leaked a list of 1,000 Uber rich Germans that had secret trusts here, to avoid Germany's steep taxes. The list included many CEOs, etc. apparently and caused quite a scandal in Deutschland.

And what happened to the leaker - he is being prosecuted by Leichtenstein authorities for what he did.

How does the EU put up with this corruption right on its fringes - how do other countries let it get away with such abetting crimes and drug money laundering, etc.

I've been to Leichtenstein and it's a bucolic country outside of Valduz (sp?), it's capital which is thoroughly modern and full of, yes, banks.

Folks going by train from Switzerland to western Austria actually pass thru a bit of Leichtenstein and there even is one Leichstenteinian train station (but not in Valduz

Does anyone here have a bank account in Leichstenstein?

If anyone did you you really htink they'd admit it here? Certainly no European in their right mind would do so.

hetismij - how much do you have stashed there? Can you recommend a good bank?

I want to visit Leichtenstein just so I can feel like I've truly explored an entire country.

>Leichstenstein? (=Liechtenstein)
That's a good one. A Leiche is a corpse in English. The guy that sold the info to the German authorities will be dead meat in no time.

You don't mess with those people unless, you have a good protection for yourself. The german secret service (BND) won't do a thing to keep him alife. RIP... Is this worth 4mio €?

Well this Liechtenstein thing just seems like sanctioning criminal activity and money laundering from seedy types like Mafioso and drug dealers

Seriously, why does Europe put up with it - or the U.N.?

How about sanctions of Liechtenstein?

Seriously

Gee Pal I hope they do not do anything drastic as it would force me to move my secret horde of millions and millions to another off shore location....getting harder and harder to hide all the money.

The leaker was bribed by interfering foreigners to break his country's laws. I can't imagine any country that wouldn't prosecute him - and he was an idiot to take the bribes without getting asylum at the same time.

We have a quaint habit in Europe of disapproving these days of invading other European countries we disagree with.

I know that's hard to explain to citizens of the world's most obsessive (if not quite most successful) practitioner of poisonous cigar diplomacy. But there you go.

So Lichtehnstein's being beaten up by Angela Merkel's handbag. They've been told they can't join Schengen if they don't clean up their act. There are all kinds of things we'll gently do.

But one thing we won't do is take advice on dealing with troublesome micro-states from the other side of the Atlantic. Fifty years of telling Americans they can't visit the country next door, and there are still Castros in power.

Lichtenstein will sort itself out without our descending to the restraint on our own freedoms countries founded on slavery love to impose on their servile citizens.

They obviously do not teach geography in Liverpiddle Catholic prep schools

If Cuba is a micro-state than half of European states are too

It ain't as tiny as you think - certainly should not be compared to Liechtenstein - and i guess those puddle schools don't teach spelling very good either - even of their fellow European countries

flaneur you are showing your lack of a proper edication

Personally i could care less what Europe does about Liechtenstein but was expressing awe that it would be allowed to subvert the tax systems for instance of about every European country

"But one thing we won't do is take advice on dealing with troublesome micro-states from the other side of the Atlantic"

Good one, Flanner, but I would hasten to add:

&quot;But <b>we WILL,</b> gladly accept any and all foreign aid (guns, ammo and even your totally worthless money) when we <b>do decide</b> to &quot;deal&quot; with them!&quot;

<b>Fifty years of telling Americans they can't visit the country next door</b>

try again...Sherlock

Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been to Cuba, LEGALY! over the last 40 years.

Economic embargo. Look that up sometime.

Flaneur's misconceptions go further - that we haven't done anything about Cuba

Heard of the boycott that has kept the country in poverty and lacking even essential supplies at times

That is exactly what i was suggesting doing to Liechtenstein - what the US of A has been doing to Cuba (in that take quick reprehensibly IMO - criminal actually - not justified as in Liechtenstein

Perhaps after all America will once again have to step into Europe to restore order?

As for not letting them into Schengen - heck even Britain isn't in Schengen i believe and it hasn't hurt them

Hopefully Lent has ended in the Cotswolds and the ole chap can return to clear thinking (and lower blood pressure)

During the cold war Liechtensteiners could not visit Czechoslovakia. How's that for useless piece of informeation on this microstate.
Another one - a couple of years ago the population voted in favour of a change in the constitution to make the Prince an absolute monarch. It hasn't happened yet but it could. He has the right to veto laws as it is.
They went into banking, very succesfully, to provide income after the confiscation of the Princely lands in Eastern Europe after WW2.
It's a weird country.

Personally though I'm glad the Dutch tax cheats are going to have to pay up - about time. They should have stashed it in Panama

cuba 42,820 sq mi

belgium 11,784 s m
holland 16, 169
ireland 27,146
denmark 16,627
switz 15,946
portugal 35,521
austria 32,774
hungary 35,910
Liechtenstein 62 sq mi

Balkan countries, Czech % Slovakia, Slovenia all smaller

Indeed Cuba would be one of the macro European states by size

The IRS has been informed too. (You didn't expect Germans not to share the disk, did you?)

It's people all over the planet that love Liechtenstein.

<i>Perhaps after all America will once again have to step into Europe to restore order?


No need to step in. Merkel has already launched Operation Enduring Taxation. Invasion of Liechtenstein is scheduled to happen on April 1st, from 1200 till 1205 zulu time. Unfortunately, we will have to invade a bit of Austria, too, but I don't think they will mind. All quiet on the Southern Front...

Seriously, the &quot;Liechtenstein scandal&quot; made headlines four weeks ago, and did so for hardly two weeks. Tax havens are spread out all over the world, including a lot of nice locations in the Carribean or Central America (Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Panama).</i>

That leaker broke his country's law. And what he did would be a crime in any country. He stole the data. I personally think (and many lawyers in Germany are with me on that) information gotten in a crime cannot be used on court. Thus the prosecutor in Germany will have a hard job ...

Beside that in my opinion the easiest way to avoid Germans moving out of the country and taking their money with them, or just taking their money out of the country, is to lower the income taxes.

&gt;Another one - a couple of years ago the population voted in favour of a change in the constitution to make the Prince an absolute monarch. It hasn't happened yet but it could. He has the right to veto laws as it is.

Not quite. The power is vested in population (swiss style direct democracy) AND in the Prince - the parliament is, in the new constitution, just a help for the dullest parts of the legislation process. Weird.

That's o.k. the joint austo-bavarian forces will invade and free Liechtensten from it's oppressors. Then we'll kick the prusssians out of our territory and finally create the austro-bavarian-(liechtenstonian)empire. And we'll free southern tyrol too. . And you americans don't you dare to interfere in our freedom fight!

Vote Bayernpartei!! We'll make a brighter future!
I think I should become a candidate.

We already have troops in place in bavaria and may have to take over bavaria as well if they get in our way.

Is King Ludwig still on the throne?