Becomes a lawyer

Karoline Edtstadler leaves top politics

The Minister for Europe and coalition negotiator in Chancellor Karl Nehammer's team has now made a surprising and very personal decision: Karoline Edtstadler is moving back to her home town of Salzburg. She wants to turn her back on top politics for the time being.

At this point in time, nobody would have expected this: Edtstadler (ÖVP) will no longer be available to the next government. The Minister for Europe is prepared to remain available to Chancellor Nehammer as a member of the ÖVP negotiating team for the coalition talks with the SPÖ and NEOS. After that, however, Edtstadler will put an end to top politics for the time being.

The lawyer will remain a member of parliament and set up a law firm in Salzburg. Edtstadler confirmed her decision, which was motivated by personal and political reasons, to the "Krone" newspaper on Saturday.

Edtstadler started her career as a judge in Salzburg.(Bild: Max Grill)

First "Kickl watchdog", then minister
Edtstadler's political career in brief: brought into the Ministry of the Interior by Sebastian Kurz in 2017 as State Secretary and Kickl watchdog. She was then a Member of the EU Parliament for two years. From 2020, she was Minister of the Chancellery and a little later Minister for Europe and the Constitution.

In 2017, the lawyer Karoline Edtstadler was brought into the government by the then Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz as Herbert Kickl's watchdog.(Bild: Franz Neumayr)

Edtstadler and the Nehammers: the relationship was not without its tensions.(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Edtstadler at the Salzburg Rupertikirtag: The minister, who is often described as cool and ambitious, can also be very close to the people.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Tensions between the minister and the chancellor's confidants
Even before the National Council elections, Edtstadler - just like Magnus Brunner, who was praised as EU Commissioner in Brussels - was considered a possible successor to Chancellor Nehammer. According to reports, this has repeatedly led to tensions between confidants of the head of government and the minister. Especially as Edtstadler has a reputation for being loyal but also very ambitious.

Weeks ago it was said that she could, if not become EU Commissioner, at least become Second President of the National Council. Most recently, there were rumors that Edtstadler would become Minister of Justice. The 43-year-old had already considered a different career path at the end of September.

"Mission" from Salzburg in the national elections
"I see the strong result in the National Council elections that I received in Salzburg as a mandate to represent the interests of my federal state as a member of the National Council with full commitment over the next five years," the Minister for Europe confirmed to the "Krone". It had been clear to her years ago that she needed complete economic independence. This is "enormously important for politicians in particular in order to be able to make decisions more freely."

Kommentar von Claus Pándi

Eine Warnung für den Kanzler

Some in the ÖVP will react with relief to the news that Karoline Edtstadler will not seek a position in the next government. When the strong clear the field, the weaker ones have a clear path. In practice, Edtstadler's hasty renunciation of a ministerial post means the almost complete destruction of the ÖVP government team.

Although Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer was born in Vienna, under Johanna Mikl-Leitner's hard hand he became a forced political Lower Austrian. Nehammer's only remaining confidants are the famous Interior Minister Gerhard Karner from Texing in Lower Austria and the always amusing Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner from Scheibbs, whom Nehammer had to take over from the Lower Austrian Farmers' Association. Susanne Raab may also continue as Minister for Leitkultur. Raab comes from Upper Austria, but has long since adapted to Lower Austria's customs.

With such a familiar and familiar set-up, Nehammer will be spared various feuds in his team in future. Fresh ideas, intellectual contradiction and a new way of governing will, of course, hardly come about with these people.

The fact that Edtstadler does not even want to be part of the next government should also give the Chancellor serious food for thought. Patience has not exactly been Edtstadler's greatest strength in the past. This time she can obviously wait.