in May 2022. Risch was a candidate for government in the
2017 Liechtenstein general election as a member of the
Patriotic Union. Following the resignation of
Thomas Zwiefelhofer, Risch was appointed as
Deputy Prime Minister of Liechtenstein on 30 March 2017 in a renewed coalition government between the Patriotic Union and
Progressive Citizens' Party. As deputy prime minister, he was also a government councillor with the roles of infrastructure, economy, and sport. During the campaign, Risch stated that he would not be a part of the next government should the party loose the election. As a result, Risch was appointed as prime minister on 25 March 2021 in a renewed coalition government between the two parties. As prime minister, he also held the role of finance minister. Risch has supported increased cooperation and integration between the
European Union and
European Free Trade Association, in addition to further progress to cut down on
greenhouse gas emissions. His government has spearheaded Liechtenstein's support for Ukraine in the wake of the
Russian invasion of Ukraine, starting in February 2022. He was a signatory of the
June 2024 Ukraine peace summit. From November 2023 to May 2024 Liechtenstein held the
Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, headed by foreign minister
Dominique Hasler. Risch, together with Hasler, started the government-funded
Book of Europe project in spring 2024, during Liechtenstein's presidency of the Council of Europe. In the book, the heads of government of the 46 members of the council were asked to write their thoughts and vision of Europe, which 33 did so. The book was published in February 2025. During his term in office, in November 2022, the
Landtag of Liechtenstein passed a motion calling on the government to introduce
a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, with broad support from across the political spectrum. A bill legalizing same-sex marriage was introduced in February 2024 and passed its final reading in the Landtag on 16 May 2024 by a 24–1 vote. on 26 September 2024 He was a prominent advocate for Liechtenstein's accession to the
International Monetary Fund, and his government started the proceedings for it in 2024. Liechtenstein joined the IMF on 21 October 2024. This came after a
successful referendum was held the previous month. Risch opposed the privatization of
Radio Liechtenstein in an
referendum on the topic in October 2024. Despite this, the Patriotic Union voted to support the privatization and the subsequent referendum was accepted by voters. Radio Liechtenstein was subsequently closed in April 2025 due to a lack of a concrete plan regarding the privatization as well as no political decision being made regarding an extension of the deadline to do so. In February 2024, Risch announced that he would not be running for re-election in the
2025 Liechtenstein general election. He was succeeded by
Brigitte Haas on 10 April 2025. == Later life ==