Politics Unofficial

Hard times for the black crown prince

After last year's election, Schnöll was given portfolios by the head of the province, Haslauer.(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Deputy Governor Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP) is currently feeling the full force of political hardship in Salzburg.

While Governor Wilfried Haslauer (ÖVP) is going from one folk festival to the next, celebrating himself as a popular head of the province, his designated successor is experiencing hard times. After the elections, state deputy Stefan Schnöll inherited the extensive portfolios of economy and tourism, labor market, municipalities and culture from the governor in addition to his regular topic of transport. In the process, the Walser is drowning in work, public images of beauty fall by the wayside.

Instead, there are negative headlines about the A10 construction site and the bickering over the extension of the local line, the S-Link. The showdown over the mini-subway is due to take place in November. The state will then put the project to a vote in the city of Salzburg, Flachgau and Tennengau. If the citizens vote in favor of the S-Link, Schnöll could celebrate a long-awaited success. If they vote against the billion-euro project, he can only hope that grass will grow over the matter by the next election.

However, an important confidant will no longer see the outcome at Schnöll's side. His office manager Christoph Bayrhammer is turning his back on politics and moving to the private sector after the summer. His successor will be press spokesman Fabian Scharler. As if the situation were not challenging enough for the black crown prince, he could also be torpedoed by his own party. If Minister Karoline Edtstadler does not become EU Commissioner, she could have her sights set on Salzburg's highest office...