Wolfgang Mayer takes Salzburg deputy governor post

Salzburg’s ÖVP has named Wolfgang Mayer as its new leading figure in the state government, succeeding outgoing Deputy Governor Stefan Schnöll, ORF reported on Sunday evening. Mayer, formerly the party’s parliamentary group leader in the state parliament, will take responsibility for finance, transport and health. Tourism and culture remain undecided.

Hans Scharfetter, a former state parliament member from Bad Hofgastein in the Pongau region, will take over as the ÖVP’s parliamentary group leader.

Schnöll’s departure, despite his popularity among the public, has prompted a reshuffle under Governor Karoline Edtstadler and a redistribution of portfolios among the Salzburg ÖVP’s senior figures.

From party organiser to government leader

For more than two decades, Mayer was primarily one of the politicians who organised the party’s work behind the scenes rather than standing at the forefront of politics and media coverage.

Born in Oberndorf in 1978, Mayer grew up in Faistenau and completed his secondary education at the Borromäum in 1997. He studied political science and history in Salzburg, as well as for one year at the Institut d’études politiques in Lyon. He completed his studies in 2003, the same year he began his political career with the Salzburg ÖVP.

Mayer initially worked in organisation and marketing for the ÖVP’s state election campaign. He later became director of the city party organisation, campaign manager and, briefly, chief of staff to City Councillor Claudia Schmidt. In 2009, he moved to the state party as political director, becoming state party manager in 2011.

That marked the beginning of his central role during the period led by Wilfried Haslauer junior. When the Salzburg financial scandal shook state politics at the end of 2012, Mayer publicly defended the ÖVP as state party manager and in particular attacked then-SPÖ finance officer David Brenner. The scandal’s background also extended into the term of former ÖVP finance officer Wolfgang Eisl.

After the early state election in 2013, Haslauer became governor. Mayer entered the state parliament for the first time on June 19, 2013. He remained state party manager while serving in parliament, giving him roles both in the legislature and in the party’s executive leadership. From 2019 to 2024, he was also a member of Salzburg’s municipal council.

In 2021, Mayer became the ÖVP’s parliamentary group leader in the state parliament. He gave up the state party manager role but remained secretary general of the Salzburg ÖVP until early 2025.

Critical stance towards the FPÖ

Mayer’s role became particularly significant after the 2023 state election. According to ORF reports at the time, he was seen as especially critical of the FPÖ, and reports also described a strained professional relationship with FPÖ leader Marlene Svazek. During an initial round of exploratory talks, Mayer stepped aside in favour of Brigitta Pallauf. He later joined the ÖVP core team that negotiated the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition government.

He also took a clear position on the S-Link transport project, calling it a “once-in-a-century project” and the future main artery of public transport. However, a majority voted against the project in a statewide public consultation in November 2024.

Breathalyser incident in 2024

Mayer experienced a personal and political low point at the beginning of 2024. Police stopped his car after it was seen driving in swerves. According to police, he refused a breathalyser test, and his driving licence was confiscated. The opposition called for political consequences.

Mayer described the incident as a “serious mistake”, apologised and remained parliamentary group leader.

Haslauer’s withdrawal in 2025 also marked a turning point for Mayer. He gave up the secretary general role and said at the time that he had considered ending the political path he had begun with Haslauer in 2003 after 22 years. Haslauer explicitly praised his long-serving political ally, saying the Salzburg ÖVP’s political successes over those two decades would hardly have been possible without Mayer’s work.

Mayer nevertheless remained in politics. Under Governor Karoline Edtstadler, he continued to lead the ÖVP parliamentary group in the state parliament. In 2025, he also acquired a majority stake in a PR agency as a “civilian foothold” and announced that it would not accept contracts from the state of Salzburg or state-owned entities.