Municipal elections 2025

Frank Matt wants to continue setting green accents

Lochau's green mayor (5th from left) wants to defend his office.(Bild: Grüne)

The chances of Lochau mayor Frank Matt defending his office are quite good. With Stephan Schnetzer (ÖVP) and Karl-Heinz Lau (FPÖ), the still practicing ophthalmologist has only two challengers.

The Vorarlberg Greens were delighted with the municipal elections in autumn 2020. In the run-off election, Lochau's top candidate Frank Matt received 54.5 percent of the vote, putting him well ahead of the then incumbent Michael Simma (ÖVP). Frank Matt became the first Green mayor in the region.

A good four years after taking office, the ophthalmologist looks back on his time in office with great satisfaction. "I haven't regretted taking on the role of mayor for a single day or even an hour. I really enjoy the tasks." The cooperation with the municipalities in Leiblachtal works perfectly. The residents can look forward to a new train stop and, following the redesign of the pipeline, a better quality of life on the shores of Lake Constance. There is a new Bäumle children's home for the youngest citizens.

Problem of a ten-year-old solved
He has also experienced many wonderful moments. These include, for example, when a ten-year-old visited him at home. "The boy rang the bell and confessed to me that he had stolen 50 euros from his brother. So that he could pay the money back, he asked me to help him find a job," reports the mayor. Of course, he didn't employ him at the municipal office. "But we found a good solution!"

The ophthalmologist has no regrets about his old job, as he hasn't given it up completely. "I'm still there for my old patients on three half days - that's also very important to me. Otherwise, I'm very happy that my son has taken over the practice."

Four weeks' vacation in four years
The only downer: the vacations are a little too short. In the past four years, the mayor of Lochau has had just four weeks' vacation. "It's just as well that I'm a person who likes to work," says Frank Matt with a twinkle in his eye.

He intends to remain mayor for the next five years. However, the ÖVP and FPÖ do not want to leave the field to the Green without a fight. While Karl-Heinz Lau, a long-standing municipal representative, is entering the race for the Freedom Party, the ÖVP is backing Stephan Schnetzer.