Liechtenstein: So far but no further

Liechtenstein's ruler, Prince Hans-Adam, was so sure of the benefits of closer economic ties with the rest of western Europe that he threatened to abdicate if his subjects rejected EEA membership. The principality's bankers and lawyers are more sceptical. Their concern is that limited changes to secrecy laws may deter the high-net-world

After decades of luxuriating in low-profile affluence, Liechtenstein’s banking industry faces a shake-up that raises doubts about its future as a haven for the wealthy. The tiny Alpine principality sent out the first signals that it was on the verge of a new era after a referendum in December 1992. Its 30,000 inhabitants confounded pollsters by voting to join Iceland, Norway and the EU as a member of the the European Economic Area (EEA), thus ending a cherished tradition of independence from foreign regulators.

The

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