Municipal elections

Battle for the office of mayor

Roland Frühstück (ÖVP) is challenging Michael Ritsch (SPÖ): Who will be mayor of Bregenz in the future?

(Bild: Shourot Maurice)

The municipal elections on March 16 will bring some changes to the offices in Vorarlberg. Who is challenging whom at the polls?

After the Vorarlberg municipal elections on March 16, the town halls in western Austria, traditionally dominated by the ÖVP, could become more colorful once again. The FPÖ in particular is counting on a tailwind from the successful elections of the recent past, with more mayors set to join its current five. The SPÖ currently has four mayors, while the Greens have two. In the mayoral question, run-off elections are already looming in the cities. The time of absolute ÖVP majorities in the municipal parlors is over in the larger municipalities. In four of the five towns, the People's Party holds a relative majority, but not an absolute one.

And even in the most populous market towns of Lustenau, Hard and Götzis, the People's Party is the strongest force, but cannot make decisions alone in the municipal councils. In the provincial capital of Bregenz, previously governed by a black-green coalition, the ÖVP even had to hand over the mayor's seat to the SPÖ in 2020 - mayors have been directly elected in Vorarlberg since 2000. Former SPÖ state chairman Michael Ritsch has been firmly in the saddle in Bregenz ever since, but it remains to be seen whether former ÖVP state parliamentary group chairman Roland Frühstück can change that.

Michael Ritsch once replaced Markus Linhart (ÖVP) - he wants to continue for a few more years.

(Bild: Volkshilfe Vorarlberg)

However, it is highly likely that there will not only be a run-off election for the mayor's seat in Bregenz, but also - as was the case five years ago - in Bludenz and Feldkirch: in Bludenz in 2020, the People's Party thought it would have years of peace after a tough match against SPÖ man Mario Leiter with the successful installation of the then political newcomer Simon Tschann. However, since Tschann was convicted in December 2024 (not legally binding) for abuse of office in a construction matter, the cards have been reshuffled. The current SPÖ provincial chairman Leiter is back in the ring, and the Tschann-Leiter duel is back on. In the 2020 run-off, the two were only separated by 222 votes. The last time the SPÖ was leader of Bludenz was from 1970 to 1995.

Run-off election also likely in Feldkirch
In the summer of 2024, ÖVP city leader Wolfgang Matt handed over to Manfred Rädler in Feldkirch, which is traditionally deep in black. The FPÖ has put up party deputy leader and deputy mayor Andrea Kerbleder against him, and she is at least considered to have a good chance. A run-off election seems guaranteed. Further mayoral run-off elections are expected in Dornbirn and Lustenau. There, long-serving ÖVP mayors Andrea Kaufmann (Dornbirn) and Kurt Fischer (Lustenau) are ending their political careers, which makes life easier for the challengers - in particular Christoph Waibel (Dornbirn) and Martin Fitz (Lustenau) from the FPÖ. 

If the ÖVP has its way, the current Deputy Mayor Julian Fässler in Dornbirn and Patrick Wiedl in Lustenau will succeed him. While Fässler's election should be safe, those responsible for the ÖVP in Lustenau have deeper worry lines on their foreheads. In the most recent elections, the FPÖ overtook the ÖVP again in Lustenau - where the Freedom Party was the head of the municipality from 1960 to 2010. What that means for Wiedl remains to be seen. On the other hand, the re-election of FPÖ mayor Dieter Egger in the neighboring town of Hohenems is a complete certainty. Egger has been in office since 2015. There were six mayoral run-off elections in 2020, setting a new record. If there are as many or more this year, it would come as no surprise. In Vorarlberg's 96 municipalities, mayors appointed by parties other than the ÖVP or the conservative lists have been few and far between in the past. However, there are now also five FPÖ city or municipal mayors, four from the SPÖ and two from the Greens.

Mario Leiter wants to replace Simon Tschann soon and take over as mayor of Bludenz.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Simon Tschann was considered a high-flyer for the ÖVP until he was convicted of abuse of office.

(Bild: www.zukunftbludenz.at)

In the run-off elections five years ago, Ritsch and Martin Staudinger were successful in Hard, and the Greens brought a candidate to the top of the town hall for the first time ever - Frank Matt in the Lake Constance municipality of Lochau. During the period, Stefan Übelhör was also elected in Höchst. Since 2020, two mayoral seats have practically fallen into the lap of the FPÖ. Manfred Vogt in Übersaxen and Andreas Dobler in Satteins declared their willingness to succeed the municipal leaders who resigned there, although the FPÖ clearly has less political clout in both towns than the leading lists of names. Nenzing and Vandans have been in blue hands for some time. The Freedom Party also has hopes in St. Gallenkirch (Montafon) and in Kleinwalsertal.

Only a few female mayors
Women in the leadership of a municipality are still the exception in Vorarlberg: eight of the 96 municipalities are currently in female hands. Andrea Kaufmann (Dornbirn) and Katharina Wöß-Krall (Rankweil) belong to the ÖVP, as does Angelika Moosbrugger in Wolfurt. The municipalities of Reuthe, Kennelbach, Ludesch, Raggal (Großes Walsertal) and Viktorsberg are headed by Bianca Moosbrugger-Petter, Irmgard Hagspiel, Alexandra Schalegg, Alexandra Martin and Manuela Marte. Of the latter five, three stood for lists of names, while Martin was elected directly in Raggal.

Michael Ritsch once replaced Markus Linhart (ÖVP) - he wants to continue for a few more years. Mario Leiter wants to replace Simon Tschann soon and take over the office of head of the municipality in Bludenz.Simon Tschann was considered a high-flyer for the ÖVP until he was convicted of abuse of office. The municipal elections on March 16 will bring some changes to the offices in Vorarlberg. Who is challenging whom in the ballot?