Local leader in plain language

“We are neither dodln, nor are we criminals!”

Michaela Schneidhofer, ÖVP mayor of Hernstein, which is also known for its castle, takes up the cudgels for all her colleagues: "We're not like that!"

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Reinhard Judt, Philipp Monihart)

Whether in crime thrillers or in the local pub: mayors are often portrayed in a bad light. Michaela Schneidhofer, ÖVP mayor of Hernstein in the district of Baden in Lower Austria, is now taking up the cudgels for her colleagues. And although she is a real crime thriller fan, she no longer watches some series for this reason.

The flood disaster in September showed once again that when municipalities are under threat, the mayors have to act as crisis managers. Despite the great responsibility and although many would never want to do the job, the job description is often portrayed in a bad light.

Michaela Schneidhofer, ÖVP mayor in Hernstein in the district of Baden, is now taking heart and taking up the cudgels for her colleagues: "I'm a crime thriller fan, but I don't watch Bullen von Tölz or a country thriller anymore," she says, criticizing the fact that political decision-makers are always portrayed as either "dodgers" or corrupt.

"Even the gardener is often not the murderer"
"But that's not us. In real life, the gardener is usually not the murderer either," says the mayor of the community of 1550 inhabitants. Of course, as in any profession, there are also black sheep - and they are rightly reported on negatively.

Very difficult to find a balance
It is often difficult to find a suitable solution for everyone between the young couple who want to build a house and the neighbor who wants to prevent the construction, but: "You make an effort and try to find a solution together with the many interest groups from different walks of life. Critical discussions are sometimes necessary. And that's a good thing, because it's an essential part of a functioning democracy," says Schneidhofer.

Joy prevails
Nevertheless, the joy of implementing things with people prevails - and that you can learn something new every day from the diversity of the job. One wish remains: "I'd like to see a crime thriller where the mayor solves the case - or at least isn't unsympathetic!"