Salzburg Economic Chamber Election: Wirtschaftsbund Loses Significantly, Remains Number 1
- The Wirtschaftskammerwahl (Chamber of Commerce Election) in Salzburg saw the ÖVP-Wirtschaftsbund (Austrian People's Party Economic Federation) maintain its leading position, albeit with meaningful losses in votes.
- Eleven "electioneering groups" (including name and specialist lists) competed in the 2025 WK-Wahl.
- Wirtschaftsbund: The "Liste der Salzburger Wirtschaft – Wirtschaftsbund – Team Buchmüller" (List of the Salzburg Economy - Economic Federation - Team Buchmüller) was able to maintain its leading...
Salzburg Wirtschaftskammerwahl 2025: ergebnisse und Analyze
Table of Contents
The Wirtschaftskammerwahl (Chamber of Commerce Election) in Salzburg saw the ÖVP-Wirtschaftsbund (Austrian People’s Party Economic Federation) maintain its leading position, albeit with meaningful losses in votes. With 58.17 percent, they experienced a decrease of 12.93 percentage points compared to the 2020 election, resulting in 600 mandates. The Freiheitliche Wirtschaft (FW) (Freedom Economy), supported by the FPÖ (Freedom Party of Austria), and the sozialdemokratische Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) (Social Democratic Salzburg Economic Association) more than doubled their shares of the vote.Voter turnout continued to decline.
Wirtschaftsbund Remains a Dominant Force
Eleven “electioneering groups” (including name and specialist lists) competed in the 2025 WK-Wahl. They submitted a total of 341 valid electoral proposals. the allocation of minority mandates was again possible. If a voter group did not receive a mandate in a specialist group but achieved at least 5% of the votes cast, a minority mandate was awarded. The results of the primary elections:
Wirtschaftsbund: The “Liste der Salzburger Wirtschaft – Wirtschaftsbund – Team Buchmüller” (List of the Salzburg Economy – Economic Federation – Team Buchmüller) was able to maintain its leading position with 10,760 votes or 58.17% (2020: 71.1%). In total, the Wirtschaftsbund achieved 600 mandates (2020: 710 mandates).
Freiheitliche Wirtschaft Salzburg (FW) – and Independents: the “Freiheitliche Wirtschaft Salzburg (FW) - RfW und unabhängige” (Freedom Economy Salzburg (FW) – RfW and Independents) received 2,496 votes or 13.49% (2020: 5.26%). In 2025,they achieved 109 mandates.
Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband: The “Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) – für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen” (Salzburg Economic Association (SWV) – for Small and medium-sized Enterprises) received 2,423 votes, which is 13.10% (2020: 6.05%) of the voting rights and corresponds to 95 mandates.
Grüne Wirtschaft: The “Grüne Wirtschaft (GW)” (Green Economy (GW)) received 1,313 votes or 7.10% (2020: 8.66%), resulting in 39 mandates.
Wirtschaftsliste Salzburg – Non-partisan and self-reliant (FGWÖ): The “Wirtschaftsliste Salzburg parteifrei und unabhängig” (FGWÖ) (Economic List Salzburg – Non-partisan and Independent) achieved 781 votes or 4.22% (2020: 5.99%), which corresponds to 24 mandates.
UNOS – Team Unternehmensfreude (NEOS): UNOS achieved 630 votes or 3.41% (2020: 2.16%). That’s 14 mandates.
Other: The other electioneering groups (IV, Film & Musik Salzburg, List of Contact Lens Fitting Ophthalmologists) achieved 95 votes or 0.51% (2020: 0.77%). That’s 9 mandates.
A Total of 922 Mandates
if one adds together the mandates achieved through elections, the minority mandates, and the mandates in the specialist groups without elections, this results in a total mandate number of 922 mandates, which are distributed among the electioneering groups as follows:
- Liste der Salzburger Wirtschaft – wirtschaftsbund – Team Buchmüller: 600 Mandate (Mandate Percentage: 65.08%)
- Freiheitliche Wirtschaft Salzburg (FW) – und Unabhängige: 109 Mandate (11.82%)
- Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV)- für kleine und mittlere Unternehmen: 95 Mandate (10.30%)
- Grüne Wirtschaft (GW): 39 Mandate (4.23%)
- Wirtschaftsliste Salzburg – parteifrei und unabhängig (FGWÖ): 24 Mandate (2.60%)
- Industrie Salzburg (IV): 23 Mandate (2.50%)
- UNOS – Team Unternehmensfreude (NEOS): 14 Mandate (1.52%)
- Gemeinsame Liste der Salzburger Banken und Versicherungen: 12 Mandate (1.30%)
- Other: 6 Mandate (0.65%)
Voter turnout in 2025 was 35 percent.
A total of 42,266 Salzburg entrepreneurs were called upon this week to elect their representatives in the respective specialist organizations of their industries. As individual entrepreneurs have multiple business licenses, they were allowed to exercise a total of 54,839 voting rights.In fact, 19,004 votes were cast, and voter turnout fell from 38.7 percent in 2020 to 35 percent.
“Für den Wirtschaftsbund ist das kein besonders erfreulicher Tag,” stated Peter Buchmüller, the acting President of the Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund, expressing some disappointment with the result. The reasons for the decrease will now be analyzed in the coming days and weeks. Buchmüller spoke of a arduous mix of the “herausfordernden wirtschaftlichen Situation mit hoher Inflation,hohen Zinsen und hohen Energiekosten,dem Fachkräftemangel und der allgemeinen Unzufriedenheit mit der Politik” (challenging economic situation with high inflation,high interest rates and high energy costs,the shortage of skilled workers and the general dissatisfaction with politics). Last but not least,the corona pandemic did not do the Wirtschaftsbund any good. Buchmüller and the representatives of the other lists emphasized today that they want to clearly increase voter turnout again in five years.
Preliminary distribution in the Economic Parliament
The following is the resulting preliminary distribution of mandates:
| Party | Mandates | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Wirtschaftsbund | 600 | 65.08% |
| Freiheitliche Wirtschaft (FW) | 109 | 11.82% |
| Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) | 95 | 10.30% |
| Grüne Wirtschaft (GW) | 39 | 4.23% |
| Wirtschaftsliste Salzburg (FGWÖ) | 24 | 2.60% |
| Industrie Salzburg (IV) | 23 | 2.50% |
| UNOS | 14 | 1.52% |
| Banken und Versicherungen | 12 | 1.30% |
| sonstige | 6 | 0.65% |
Salzburg Chamber of Commerce Election 2025: Results and Analysis
This article provides a comprehensive overview of the 2025 Salzburg Chamber of Commerce Election (Wirtschaftskammerwahl), including key results, analysis of voter turnout, and the distribution of mandates among various political and economic groups.
Key Election Results
What was the overall outcome of the 2025 Salzburg Chamber of Commerce Election?
The ÖVP-Wirtschaftsbund (Austrian People’s Party Economic Federation) maintained its leading position but experienced a decrease in votes. The Freiheitliche Wirtschaft (FW) (Freedom Economy) and the sozialdemokratische salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) (Social Democratic Salzburg Economic Association) more than doubled their shares of the vote. Overall voter turnout continued to decline.
which group secured the most mandates in the 2025 election?
The “Liste der Salzburger Wirtschaft – Wirtschaftsbund – Team Buchmüller” secured the most mandates with 600, representing 65.08% of the total.
Which political groups experienced significant gains in the 2025 election?
The freiheitliche Wirtschaft Salzburg (FW) and the Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) both more than doubled their vote shares compared to the 2020 election.
Mandate Distribution
How many total mandates were distributed in the 2025 election?
A total of 922 mandates were distributed among the various electioneering groups.
What is the mandate breakdown among the major groups?
| Party | Mandates | Percentage |
| :———————————————————– | :——- | :——— |
| Wirtschaftsbund | 600 | 65.08% |
| Freiheitliche Wirtschaft (FW) | 109 | 11.82% |
| Salzburger Wirtschaftsverband (SWV) | 95 | 10.30% |
| Grüne Wirtschaft (GW) | 39 | 4.23% |
| Wirtschaftsliste Salzburg (FGWÖ) | 24 | 2.60% |
| Industrie Salzburg (IV) | 23 | 2.50% |
| UNOS | 14 | 1.52% |
| Banken und Versicherungen | 12 | 1.30% |
| Other | 6 | 0.65% |
Voter Turnout
What was the voter turnout rate in the 2025 Salzburg Chamber of Commerce Election?
The voter turnout rate was 35 percent, a decrease from 38.7 percent in 2020.
Why did voter turnout decrease in the 2025 election?
Several factors contributed to the decrease in voter turnout, including:
Challenging economic situation with high inflation
High interest rates and energy costs
Shortage of skilled workers
General dissatisfaction with politics
* Lingering effects of the corona pandemic
Election Dynamics and participation
How many Salzburg entrepreneurs were eligible to vote?
A total of 42,266 Salzburg entrepreneurs were eligible to vote in the election.
How many total votes were cast in the 2025 election?
In total,19,004 votes were cast.
What are “electioneering groups,” and how many participated in the 2025 election?
“Electioneering groups” refer to the various political and specialist groups that compete in the election. In 2025, eleven electioneering groups participated, submitting a total of 341 valid electoral proposals.
Implications and Reactions
How did the Chamber of Commerce react to the election results?
Peter Buchmüller, the acting President of the Chamber of commerce and Chairman of the Wirtschaftsbund, expressed disappointment with the results, especially the decrease in voter turnout and losses in vote share for the Wirtschaftsbund.
What steps are planned to address the decrease in voter turnout?
Buchmüller and representatives of other lists emphasized the need to increase voter turnout in the next election, scheduled in five years. Analysis of the reasons for the decline is planned to inform future strategies.