Uncrowned crown prince

Why Schnöll did not want to become governor

"No, thank you!" Stefan Schnöll will not be governor(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

Stefan Schnöll was considered the logical successor to Governor Wilfried Haslauer. But he voluntarily relinquished the most important political office in Salzburg. Why? For the sake of his family. . 

"A burden has been lifted from me." Stefan Schnöll made his final decision around the turn of the year. A decision for his family and against the highest political office in the state of Salzburg!

Why? "I took my daughter to kindergarten just once last year," says the father of two. And: "That's when you start to think." The 36-year-old gives way to Karoline Edtstadler and does not become the new state governor - even though he was considered Wilfried Haslauer's crown prince for years.

Schnöll wants more time for his family(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

S-Link was his biggest defeat ever
The governor of Flachgau brought him into top politics in 2018. He became a regional councillor for transport and was faced with a mammoth task right at the start of his political career. Schnöll was tasked with solving Salzburg's transport problems. The youngster certainly succeeded, but his biggest project was a resounding failure. His billion-euro S-Link project, i.e. the partly underground extension of the local line to Hallein, never really met with public approval. With the referendum on the project in November 2024, the S-Link was finally history. The regional transport councillor proved powerless in the case of the permanent traffic jams on the Tauernautobahn (A10) and the neighboring communities. There was massive criticism from the mayors on several occasions - even from those with an ÖVP party ticket.

Will Schnöll soon turn his back on politics altogether?
The former crown prince will not really be able to take a step back in the near future. Schnöll will remain a provincial councillor and deputy to soon to be provincial governor Karoline Edtstadler at least until the next provincial elections in 2028. Since 2023, the Flachgau native has been responsible for tourism, the labor market, the economy, culture and the municipalities in addition to transport. "But I will probably hand over departmental responsibilities. But certainly not culture," laughs Schnöll.

Will he run again in the upcoming elections? "I don't know yet," says the law graduate cryptically for the time being.