Tyrol Farmers’ Association picks local officials ahead of chamber vote

The ÖVP-affiliated Tyrol Farmers’ Association is holding local elections this weekend, a vote that critics say will also shape local representation in the Chamber of Agriculture. ORF reported that about 16,000 members can vote for local farm council members, chairs and deputies.

The vote comes ahead of the chamber election scheduled for February 2027. The Farmers’ Association has long been the dominant force in the chamber and is represented across Tyrol’s municipalities.

In the 2021 chamber election, the association won 74.2 percent of the vote but lost support. The Independent Farmers’ Association won 15 percent, while the Green Farmers and Farmers group maintained its previous level of support.

The Green Farmers and Farmers group again criticised what it described as close ties between the chamber and the ÖVP-affiliated association, arguing that the association’s local elections effectively determine local chamber representatives. Chamber President Josef Hechenberger rejected that claim, saying appointments are formally made by the Chamber of Agriculture’s general assembly.

Nearly 10,000 more people will be eligible to vote in the February 2027 chamber election than in 2021, bringing the potential electorate to about 47,000. The increase follows a change to the chamber law.