Vienna Election 2025: ÖVP Top Candidate Karl Mahrer in Profile

Vienna's ÖVP leader Karl Mahrer has known the capital for 70 years. The changes the city has undergone are not entirely positive for him, which is why the oldest top candidate for the Vienna election is now running for more security.

Ex-police officer Mahrer wants to clean up Vienna

Given his biography, this is only logical, as Mahrer has spent a large part of his life with the police. It was only in 2017 that he started his political career as a member of the National Council, and four years later he became the head of the Vienna ÖVP.

Mahrer's career began in 1974 in the Ottakring security watch department. Later, he became the Vienna state police commander, and even later, the deputy state police president. In 2017, he entered the National Council as a political newcomer for the ÖVP. Former ÖVP federal party chairman Sebastian Kurz described the then 62-year-old not only as a security expert but also as a signal to seniors.

Surprising change at the top of the city ÖVP

In 2021, there was another, quite surprising change at the top of the city ÖVP. The reason for the reshuffle was the departure of Gernot Blümel - he had also thrown in the towel in light of the ÖVP turbulence and Kurz's resignation. Mahrer decided to switch to the city hall and became a non-executive city councilor. At the same time, he declared himself as an ÖVP member of both the new and old style: "I am a Black because I have been with the party for 46 years, and I am a Turquoise because Sebastian Kurz brought me into politics."

In Vienna, he continued to focus on what he considered to be the - at times lacking - security. As a child, the friendly appearing ÖVP leader wanted to become a city railway driver. However, he recently felt unsafe on the U6, which today runs the route of the city railway, as he stated on ORF. He also criticized the situation of language support in kindergartens and the comparatively high social benefits, which would lead to an influx of refugees to Vienna. He also complained about the adhesive actions of the now inactive climate protection group "Last Generation".

ÖVP Leader Caused a Stir with Videos about Vienna "No-Go Zones"

The ÖVP chairman attracted attention with some videos. He identified a takeover at the Brunnenmarkt by Syrians, Afghans, and Arabs and expressed concern about a "no-go zone" in Favoriten. This earned him accusations of racism - especially from political competitors. Recently, Mahrer even appeared in the right-wing extremism report of the Documentation Archive of the Austrian Resistance: The Identitarians recognized some of their arguments in his statements. Mahrer is also criticized in the Wienwert case. He and his wife are accused of contributing to infidelity. He stated that he has a "good and clear conscience" and is not considering resignation, the party chairman asserted.

ÖVP Faces Losses in Vienna Election According to Polls

In the Vienna election, Mahrer starts from a less privileged position: Blümel took over the marginalised Viennese ÖVP in the city parliament in 2015 and led it from single digits back to second place in the 2020 election. Currently, polls predict a halving for the ÖVP to about ten percent. Nevertheless, Mahrer, who is optimistic in his first run as the top candidate, is pushing for a coalition. In negotiations, he wants to convince the SPÖ to partner with his party. He certainly has experience, as Mahrer has already negotiated federal governments with the FPÖ, the Greens, and most recently with the SPÖ and the NEOS.

About the person: Karl Mahrer, born on March 4, 1955, in Vienna. Began his police career in 1974 in the security watch department Ottakring, later became Vienna's state police commander and then Vienna's state police vice president. From 2017 to 2021, a member of the National Council for the ÖVP, since 2021 chairman of the ÖVP Vienna and non-executive city councilor.

(APA/Red)

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