Karoline Edtstadler: Salzburg's first governor in the 21st century!

Karoline Edtstadler: Salzburg's first governor in the 21st century!

Salzburg, Österreich - 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 to the top of the Salzburg state government for this important step. Mikl-Leitner emphasized Edtstadler's character as a "citizen-friendly creator with grip", who knows how to communicate her beliefs clearly. In her speech, she emphasized the urgent need for strong women in politics and spoke out for close cooperation between the federal states in order to meet the challenges of today. These requirements include responsibility, reliability and willingness to dialogue.

With Edtstadler's election, Salzburg becomes a pioneer in Austria, as a woman was at the head of a state government just three times earlier. Edtstadler is the fourth woman in the history of Austria, who acts as a governor, since 1945. At the moment there is only Johanna Mikl-Leitner as another female member in the Gazard Collection Conference. The discussion about the speech of 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 a new ÖVP state party chairman on Saturday afternoon. It follows Wilfried Haslauer, who has announced his withdrawal from politics. Edtstadler is officially elected as the new governor on Wednesday in the state parliament after a hearing is currently in the state parliament. Her predecessor Haslauer was recognized by Mikl-Leitner for his integrity and commitment to the common good. He had worked confidently together for many years, which politics stabilized in Salzburg. [noe.gv.at]

The gender situation in Austria, however, shows that the status of women in politics has decreased slightly overall. The proportion of women in the federal government is currently 35.7 percent, which corresponds to the previous year. From 183 MPs 74 are female in the National Council, which results in a proportion of women of 40.4 percent. In the various state governments, the proportion of women is 38.4 percent, while Salzburg itself has a proportion of women of 36.1 percent in the state parliament.