Dispute and friction in Doskozil’s Burgenland

In Hans Peter Doskozil’s Burgenland, a change at the top of the state-controlled energy company has exposed a dispute within the Social Democratic camp.

Johannes Zink, a lawyer and close confidant of the powerful governor, has taken over as chairman of the supervisory board of Burgenland Energie AG. Zink already sat on the board, but now leads the body after Doskozil’s preferred candidate replaced Johann Sereinig.

The change was announced briefly on Aug. 24, while much of the province was on holiday. Formally, the supervisory board alone should choose its chairman from among its members. The account presents the decision as one Doskozil wanted.

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His all-purpose weapon

Sereinig, a former chief of staff to Social Democratic Chancellor Franz Vranitzky and longtime head of electricity company Verbund, had chaired the board for six years. He resigned his supervisory mandate on the same day. His age, 74, was cited as a possible reason, although the account questions whether age alone would normally outweigh experience and expertise.

A different explanation is described as more credible: a breakdown between Sereinig and Doskozil over the coming contract decision for Burgenland Energie finance director Reinhard Czerny. The former IBM manager has held the post since 2021. While the supervisory board extended chief executive Stephan Sharma’s contract by five years last year, it extended Czerny’s for only one year, with an option for a further renewal. That decision is now pending, and the dispute reportedly centered on whether the board should retain freedom to decide.

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Johannes Zink is present in every political discussion in Burgenland