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Schellhorn NEOS state spokesman for the third time: A wake-up call for Salzburg!
Sepp Schellhorn was elected as NEOS state spokesman in Salzburg for the third time. Makart speaks of a “wake-up call” for the party.
Schellhorn NEOS state spokesman for the third time: A wake-up call for Salzburg!
On May 24, 2025, Sepp Schellhorn was re-elected as state spokesman for NEOS in Salzburg. In a thrilling vote, he received 37 votes, while his challenger received 32 votes. Simon Makart, the NEOS spokesman, commented on the election and described it as a “wake-up call” for the party. He stressed the need for “complete reaffirmation within the organization” in the coming years to emerge stronger from the current crisis. This concern is not unfounded, as the NEOS recently experienced a debacle in the 2023 state elections and had to resign from the state government and the state parliament. This led to the resignation of the entire state team and the party's takeover by the federal leadership until Lisa Aldali became state spokeswoman in October 2023. Her resignation in January 2024 necessitated a new election.
Douglas Hoyos, Secretary General of NEOS, praised Schellhorn during the election for his many years of experience and innovative strength. Schellhorn, who first took over the leadership of NEOS in Salzburg in 2012, led the regional group until mid-2014 and returned as regional spokesman in 2016, following the resignation of Christian Dreyer. In the 2018 state elections he was able to successfully establish NEOS, but did not receive a seat in the state government, whereupon Andrea Klambauer joined the black-green-pink coalition.
Dogmatism and new challenges
The decline of NEOS in the elections poses a serious challenge. In the 2023 election, they suffered a “medium disaster”, resulting in a massive loss of votes. This development is particularly alarming when you consider that the NEOS have existed for around 10 years. Now the party has to reposition itself in order not to disappear from the political arena. According to reports, NEOS lost significantly in the last election and left the state parliament, underscoring the urgency of Schellhorn's new term.
The political context in Salzburg continues to be characterized by challenges, particularly due to the strong results of the FPÖ and the KPÖ. While the FPÖ emerged as the clear winner of the election with an increase of over seven percent, the SPÖ was unable to keep up and lost to both the FPÖ and the KPÖ, which proved to be a serious competitor. This dynamic also influences the future direction of NEOS.
Given the political landscape and internal challenges, Sepp Schellhorn's return to leadership is both a signal of stability and a call for reform. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether the NEOS in Salzburg will regain strength or continue to lose influence.
For further information on developments in Salzburg politics, see the reporting from salzburg.orf.at and news.at.