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Karoline Edtstadler: Salzburg's first female state governor in the 21st century!
Johanna Mikl-Leitner welcomes Karoline Edtstadler as Salzburg's new governor and emphasizes the importance of strong women in politics.
Karoline Edtstadler: Salzburg's first female state governor in the 21st century!
On July 2, 2025, Karoline Edtstadler was elected by the ÖVP as the new governor of Salzburg. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, congratulated her on this important step to the top of the Salzburg state government. Mikl-Leitner highlighted Edtstadler's character as a “people-oriented, down-to-earth doer” who knows how to communicate her convictions clearly. In her speech, she emphasized the urgent need for strong women in politics and advocated close cooperation between the federal states in order to meet the challenges of today. These requirements include responsibility, reliability and willingness to engage in dialogue. [noe.gv.at]
With Edtstadler's election, Salzburg becomes a pioneer in Austria, as a woman has only been at the head of a state government three times before. Edtstadler is the fourth woman in the history of Austria to serve as state governor since 1945. Currently there is only Johanna Mikl-Leitner as another female member in the state governors' conference. The discussion about addressing female officials has been active since 1996, when Waltraud Klasnic came into focus in Styria as “Mrs. Governor”. [salzburg24.at]
Political backgrounds and successes
Karoline Edtstadler was elected as the new ÖVP state party leader on Saturday afternoon with 97.5 percent. She follows Wilfried Haslauer, who announced his retirement from politics. Edtstadler will be officially elected as the new state governor in the state parliament on Wednesday after a hearing in the state parliament is currently underway. Her predecessor Haslauer was recognized by Mikl-Leitner for his integrity and commitment to the common good. He worked together in a spirit of trust for many years, which stabilized politics in Salzburg. [noe.gv.at]
However, the gender situation in Austria shows that the status of women in politics has declined slightly overall. The proportion of women in the federal government is currently 35.7 percent, which is the same as last year. Of the 183 members of the National Council, 74 are women, which makes the proportion of women 40.4 percent. The proportion of women in the various state governments is 38.4 percent, while Salzburg itself has a proportion of women of 36.1 percent in the state parliament. [parlamentarismus.at]