Aloof Prince Alois stands firm in Liechtenstein row

By Douwe Miedema

VADUZ (Reuters) - When the prince of Liechtenstein spoke out in defense of his tiny country against powerful Germany, his people reveled in his uncharacteristic defiance.

Prince Alois, who once acknowledged he led a boring life, had been seen as conciliatory, distant or even timid. But his reaction to Germany's crackdown on secretive bank accounts in his principality has dramatically raised his profile.

The 39-year-old prince lacks many of the fiery traits that make his father Hans-Adam II a controversial figure, but his 35,000 subjects have warmed to him as he grapples with one of Liechtenstein's worst recent crises.

"People had criticized him for being too cautious. Now he has shown he can act differently, and people liked it," said Kornelia Pfeiffer, a journalist at the Liechtensteiner Volksblatt daily newspaper.

Prince Alois von und zu Liechtenstein appears now to have stepped out of his father's shadow, having lashed out at Germany last month in a dispute that has sparked worldwide controversy over tax havens.

He accused Germany of violating the law by purchasing information on suspected tax dodgers from an informant the principality views as a criminal.

"It is surely a crisis when one is shot at in this way by such a big country," the prince told a news conference in the capital Vaduz.

"Germany would be better off using its tax revenues to get its own tax system in order instead of paying millions for stolen data."