At least in Salzburg

Haslauer slams the political door on minister

Haslauer (left) praises Edtstadtler and backs Schnöll.(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

Karoline Edtstadler announced her withdrawal from top politics in Vienna on Saturday. On Sunday, the People's Party backed Stefan Schnöll as the future black party leader and top candidate.

Minister Edtstadler succeeds Wilfried Haslauer as provincial governor! This rumor has been around in Salzburg for some time. After Edtstadler's retirement from federal politics in Vienna, Haslauer, apart from the usual farewell praise, does not allow any speculation. "The Salzburg People's Party's medium-term roadmap remains unchanged and clear: Stefan Schnöll is to succeed Haslauer as state party chairman and top candidate before the end of this legislative period," the state party said on Sunday. Haslauer is thus slamming the door on Edtstadler.

According to the Salzburg People's Party, Stefan Schnöll is to succeed Wilfried Haslauer as state party chairman and top candidate before the end of this legislative period.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Time of handover is still open
"This is motivation for me. Unity within the party is important," says Schnöll. There could be another reason why the party is demonstratively backing the crown prince and state vice-chairman. If the referendum on the Salzburg mobility solution turns out to be negative, this will also tarnish Schnöll's image. After all, it is one of the most important projects of his political career. However, it is still unclear exactly when the handover at the top of the state will take place. Autumn 2025 is considered likely, by which time the black-blue state government would have half its legislative term behind it.

Nehammer thanks for "great commitment to Austria"
As reported, Edtstadler wants to set up a law firm in Salzburg and thus return to her day job. ÖVP leader Karl Nehammer spoke of a "highly personal decision", which he respected. The Chancellor thanked her on Sunday via X for "your great commitment and the joint work for Austria".

When the new government is in place, the minister will continue as a simple member of the National Council and at the same time set up a law firm in Salzburg, Nehammer announced.