Salzburg's subway project S-Link: Citizens show clear rejection

Salzburg's subway project S-Link: Citizens show clear rejection

In Salzburg, a significant vote on the controversial subway project S-Link came to an end. This decision polarized both citizens and politicians, which not only led to heated debates, but also to personal attacks. Mayor Bernhard Auinger expressed his relief about the end of the vote and described the arguments as almost a question of faith. "I was verbally attacked in front of my family," reported Auinger, who is now striving for a clear change of course in transport policy.

With the result that the S-Link project was rejected by the population, urban politics is required to seek alternative traffic solutions. Auinger emphasized the need to have discussions with the country to develop future traffic concepts. It is clear that the topic of traffic in Salzburg continues to burn and that there is no time for a shock.

political reactions to vote

The different party political reactions to the vote are meaningful. Kay-Michael Dankl from the KPÖ Plus criticized the ÖVP that it was not transparent enough when it was informed about the project. He explained: "The ÖVP managed to sink an interesting rail project in itself". This has greatly shaken the trust of the citizens in urban planning.

In contrast, deputy mayor Florian Kreibich (ÖVP) expressed that the majority had voted against the project in both the city and in the surrounding area and showed understanding for the concerns of the citizens. He emphasized the importance of not falling into a downward spiral of polarization: "It has filled up trenches, and I think that is very, very important that this polarization finally comes to an end."

Support for necessary changes also came from City Councilor Anna Schiester (Citizens' List), who described the day of the vote as a "day zero" for the mobility turn. She called for immediate measures to improve public transport in order to offer people a quick noticeable improvement. "Tactic compaction is needed, you need line extensions at the publications, and we have to implement them now," she said.

For city councilor Andrea Brandner from the SPÖ, the high participation in the vote was a strong sign of democracy: "We see a great will among the population that demands changes". Her thanks went to all those who had given up their vote, and she too was pleased with the conclusion of the vote.

The situation around the S-Link project clearly shows how different the opinions and views in the city and in the surrounding area are. It remains to be seen how urban politics will react to the result of the vote and which new solutions are being developed in order to address the traffic problem. City and country now have to work more closely together to find a consensus that takes into account the needs of the citizens and offers future -oriented traffic solutions.