The Profile

Ambassador Claudia Fritsche
By Clayton M. McCleskey

Ambassador Claudia Fritsche’s success goes to show that size truly does not matter. The petite Ambassador hails from one of the world’s most petite countries. As a career diplomat, she represents the Principality of Liechtenstein, a nation with a population of only 35,000 and the same amount of territory as the District of Columbia. Despite its size, Liechtenstein has tried to move to the center of the global stage, with Ambassador Fritsche at the lead of its diplomatic cast in Washington.

Today Liechtenstein is competitive as a global financial center and is an active member of the international community. However, half a century ago the Alpine nation was a fairly isolated agricultural nation that depended on its western neighbor Switzerland to handle its diplomacy. But in the decades following World War II, Liechtenstein underwent a transformation as farms gave way to banks and industry, opening the world to Fritsche’s generation.

“It was a period of time when lots of opportunities arose in Liechtenstein,” said Fritsche. “We moved within fifty years from a totally agrarian society to one of the most industrialized in the world.”

With the economic upswing came new opportunities, Fritsche took full advantage of the change sweeping her country.

After working for a law firm followed by time spent traveling the world, Fritsche landed a job in the office of the Prime Minister and in 1978, Fritsche became an official diplomatic officer in the newly created foreign ministry.

Now, nearly three decades later, Ambassador Fritsche sat confidently in her office overlooking Farragut Square as she explained how she built her career – and subsequently became a pioneer in Liechtenstein’s Diplomatic corps – from scratch.

“We didn’t have a lot of expertise. We had to search within ourselves,” said the Ambassador in an interview. Even though she could not study at a university - it was too expensive and not a common choice for women – she didn’t let that hold her back. From her base in the capital city of Vaduz, Fritsche helped to reinforce a diplomatic presence for Liechtenstein in Vienna and Bern and at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. But Fritsche had her sights across the Atlantic.

In 1990, Liechtenstein was accepted as a full member of the United Nations, and Fritsche wanted to be her nation’s first Ambassador to the organization. Fritsche was the only female applicant. And while she says she did not feel discriminated against, Liechtenstein struggled to recognize minorities, a struggle that continues today.

“Liechtenstein is not always open-minded enough. We remain to a certain extent a more inward rather than outward looking people,” confessed the Ambassador. The country did not grant women the right to vote until 1984.

“I used both of my elbows for New York City. I guess I was very self-assured – I submitted my application for a post that did not exist,” said Fritsche. Her determination paid off.

Her willingness to go to New York without support staff won her the job and in 1990, Fritsche headed to Manhattan to serve as Liechtenstein’s first ambassador to the U.N.

The Ambassador showed up without supporting diplomatic staff or any formal diplomatic training with the task of carving out a niche for tiny Liechtenstein in the crowded U.N. Her counterparts included royalty and the world’s most experienced diplomats. The U.N. was Fritsche’s first permanent residential posting as a diplomat.

“It was quite intimidating,” admitted Fritsche. But she remained determined. And while she had to “learn the hard way,” Fritsche’s effervescent personality quickly won her friends and she quickly proved herself.

“I put my everything into it, and I would say that we more than established ourselves at the U.N.,” said Fritsche, who served at the U.N. for more than a decade. What was her recipe for success? Priorities.

“Even a small country can have great influence, by choosing the right priorities, issues, and topics, where Liechtenstein comes across as a credible promoter and defender. If you do that and stick with it, then a small country can play a much greater role than its political or economic status would suggest.”

The Ambassador did just that. Initially working by herself, the Ambassador was responsible for voting in the General Assembly, conducting research, and promoting Liechtenstein’s interests. Under Fritsche’s leadership Liechtenstein focused on human rights – including the rights of women and children, and the right to self-determination.

As Liechtenstein’s prestige and economy expanded, so did Fritsche’s job description. The Ambassador was accredited as non-resident Ambassador to Washington, D.C. in 2000. Having succeeded in building her nation’s influence at the U.N., her government had high hopes for Fritsche’s ability to build ties between Washington and Liechtenstein. But Fritsche faced an uphill battle.

In 2000, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel ran a story uncovering what it claimed to be wide spread money-laundering in Liechtenstein’s growing financial services industry. That same year, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklisted Liechtenstein.

It was a dark period in Liechtenstein’s history, and the small nation’s confidence in itself was shaken. But Fritsche didn’t let it get her down.

“I wasn’t very surprised,” admitted Fritsche. “The system had shortcomings.”

The blacklisting galvanized Liechtenstein into action, and the nation overhauled its legal system in order to shore up confidence in the rule of law. Today the nation proudly advertises it financial services sector as it seeks to redefine its image.

“The scandal – if we can call it that – had positive side effects. It promoted reforms,” explained the Ambassador. “There is no choice but to have mechanisms to prevent misuse of financial services. Now it is even more important because of the need to disrupt terrorist funds.”

In 2002, Fritsche moved to Washington, D.C. to open the first-ever Embassy of Liechtenstein to the United States. Much like her move to New York, Fritsche faced a new set of challenges, most notably trying to have her voice heard in noisy Washington.

“There are layers of who matters here,” noted Fritsche. “It is difficult to get media attention. This is quite a challenging post.”

Ambassadors from countries like France or Japan easily get access according to Fritsche, but as Ambassador of Liechtenstein, she has had to work a bit harder.

Her hard work seems to have paid off. Whether she is meeting with members of Congress and the Executive Branch or hosting Washington big wigs at her residence, Fritsche makes the rounds with the confidence of a woman truly in-charge. After starting cold in New York, Fritsche now feels at home in Washington and ties between Liechtenstein and the U.S. continue to grow under the Ambassador’s careful supervision.

This summer Liechtenstein installed two honorary consuls – one in Macon, Georgia and one in Los Angeles – to further raise Liechtenstein’s profile. And the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution recognizing Liechtenstein’s 200 years of sovereignty, which they celebrated in 2006.

Looking back on her experience, Fritsche had some advice for aspiring diplomats.

“You are a walking advertisement for your country. Be aware of that. The job of a diplomat has particular challenges for your personal life. You have to embrace foreign cultures as much as your own, and you have to prepare yourself to be a salesperson for your country.”

Calling Liechtenstein’s transformation “quite remarkable,” Ambassador Claudia Fritsche gives a convincing sales pitch. Born into a country of “mountain people,” she went on to build a diplomatic career where she has played in the big leagues. And while Washington and New York are not usually for rookies, that didn’t deter Fritsche.

Despite its small size, Liechtenstein has been heard more and more in recent years, thanks to an Ambassador unwilling to let being petite hold her or her country back.