The head of government of Liechtenstein, known informally as the prime minister, is the chief executive of the Government of Liechtenstein and chairs the cabinet of Liechtenstein. They are appointed by the sovereign prince of Liechtenstein with the consent of the Landtag of Liechtenstein (parliament of Liechtenstein) and are expected to command the confidence of both the prince and the Landtag. The appointed head of government is typically the leader of the political party with the most seats in the Landtag or a coalition of parties. The head of government cannot be a member of the Landtag at the same time, although they should meet the eligibility requirements for that office. The position originated as Landvogt in the 16th century. The role functioned as the head of the district office, subordinate to the court of House of Liechtenstein. It was originally an undesired post within the court; this changed after Michael Menzinger applied for the role in 1833. The title was changed to governor (Landesverweser) as a concession following the Revolution of 1848 in Liechtenstein and was formalized upon the ratification of the 1862 constitution of Liechtenstein on 26 September. For this reason, Menzinger is considered the first governor of Liechtenstein. In 1921, a new constitution was ratified in which the office was replaced by that of the prime minister. Under this constitution, the eligibility for becoming head of government was changed to require being natural-born in Liechtenstein. However, this requirement has been considered inactive since 1992. The incumbent prime minister has been Daniel Risch since 25 March 2021. There are currently five living former prime ministers, with Walter Kieber being the most recent death, in 2014.

Head of government

Political parties

State administrator (1861–1921)

The Landesverweser, also known as 'Governor', was the title of the head of government from 1848 to 1921.

Prime Minister (1921–present)

The Regierungschef (lit. 'head of government') is the current title for the head of government. The office replaced that of State Administrator upon the ratification of the constitution of Liechtenstein on 5 October 1921.

Deputy head of government

The deputy head of government is the secondary chief executive in Liechtenstein. One of the cabinet ministers is appointed to this position by the prince of Liechtenstein upon the proposal of the Landtag of Liechtenstein.