Election 2024

After two party changes, Herbst wants victory for ÖVP

Elsbethen is one of the richest municipalities in Salzburg. Things have not been running smoothly at a political level for years.(Bild: Scharinger Daniel)

In Elsbethen, there has been a political transfer carousel in recent years that the population only really knows from sport.

Elsbethen is one of the richest communities in the country, has built a new sports facility and has valuable companies in the town. But there is still no blissful peace in the village - at least not politically. The balance of power has already changed in the 2019 municipal council and mayoral elections. The "Wählergemeinschaft für Elsbethen" (WfE) managed to break the ÖVP's absolute majority and force the then mayor Franz Tiefenbacher into the run-off election through Maria Steindl.

The WfE was formed after disputes between former ÖVP and SPÖ representatives. One of them was Matthias Herbst.

He came from the SPÖ, was a local councillor for a long time and is now the People's Party's candidate for mayor after his years with the voters' association. The people can lose track of things, according to the candidates for the highest office in the municipality. "My experience in the municipal council, but also as a member of several associations in Elsbethen, has shown me where my political home really is," explains Herbst. What makes the situation even more tricky is that two years ago, Herbst sued the current head of the municipality Sebastian Haslauer (ÖVP), who was still deputy at the time, together with all WfE municipal representatives for defamation because of statements made at the ÖVP municipal conference.