Politics and Culture in Focus: Salzburg Festival 2025 Opens with International Guests and Political Debates

This year's festival was officially opened by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen at the Felsenreitschule. Numerous representatives from politics, business, and culture were in attendance, including Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker, Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, and Governor Karoline Edtstadler.

In his opening speech, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen called on those in positions of responsibility in politics, business, the media, and civil society to act courageously and unpopularly. “Responsibility begins where power meets people,” said Van der Bellen. He criticized “pretend politics” that is merely tactical and called for a shift away from individual interests in favor of the common good. He welcomed the federal government's announced state reform and emphasized that a free society needs a “defensive art” that questions power.

The keynote speech was given by American-Polish journalist and historian Anne Applebaum. She highlighted the importance of the festival as a place of encounter and a symbol of the power of civil society. She explained that the festival was not created by government decree, but through the cooperation of people inspired by ideals such as art, education, and harmony. At a time when civil society is under pressure worldwide, the festival offers an important space for encounter and democratic values.

Governor Karoline Edtstadler compared the festival to an “ocean liner” that provides orientation and defends itself against clumsy political attacks. Vice-Chancellor Andreas Babler, whose speech was interrupted by a disruptive action, described art as a “compass” that provides stability in times of crisis and can help overcome pessimism.

State visit from Romania

Parallel to the opening of the festival, Romanian President Nicușor-Daniel Dan made his first official state visit to Austria. The president, who has only been in office for two months, was received by State Parliament President Brigitta Pallauf in Salzburg on Friday and welcomed with military honors by Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on Saturday.

At a joint press conference, both heads of state emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation. President Van der Bellen described Austria's veto against Romania's full accession to Schengen, which was abandoned last year, as a mistake that had damaged confidence in Austrian companies in Romania. President Dan said it was now time to look ahead and intensify cooperation.

The two presidents emphasized that there was “enormous growth potential,” especially in the areas of banking, cutting-edge technology, and the energy sector. Van der Bellen highlighted the Neptun Deep natural gas production project in the Black Sea, in which OMV is involved through OMV Petrom. The project has the potential to stabilize the gas market throughout Europe and reduce dependence on Russian gas supplies.

There was also agreement on support for Ukraine, both during the war and during reconstruction. In addition, both spoke out in favor of intensifying cooperation within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region in order to make better use of the Danube as a transport route.

Chancellor talks: Stocker and Merz for a strong Europe

On the sidelines, Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met for a one-on-one meeting in Salzburg. It was already the third personal meeting between the two heads of government this year.

The talks focused on European challenges such as combating illegal migration, strengthening competitiveness in Europe, and geopolitical issues such as the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. Chancellor Stocker described Germany as “the most important economic partner and closest ally.” He emphasized the need for close cooperation, especially on the issue of migration and the implementation of the asylum and migration pact.

Both chancellors spoke out in favor of a united European stance and called for an end to the war in Ukraine. The humanitarian situation in Gaza was also discussed. Chancellor Stockor appealed to Israel to allow more humanitarian aid and called for the release of hostages by Hamas.

Another topic was the EU's next multiannual financial framework. Both Stocker and Merz agreed that the draft presented by the European Commission was still far from an acceptable solution. Stockor called for more efficient use of funds and emphasized that national consolidation measures must also be reflected at the EU level. The traffic situation at the Brenner Pass was also discussed. Stocker requested Germany's support for the rapid commissioning of the Brenner Base Tunnel and the transfer of freight traffic to rail.

Presidential Chancellery of Austria

Federal Chancellory of Austria

State of Salzburg