Burgenland Election 2025: Hans Peter Doskozil (SPÖ) in Portrait
"Common sense" - not only was this the title of his autobiography published last summer, but he also frequently uses it to explain political decisions. Hans Peter Doskozil likes to go his own way in politics and as the SPÖ's top candidate in the state elections in Burgenland, he has to defend this and his position as governor. However, things could have turned out very differently and he could now be acting as the federal party leader of the SPÖ.
Burgenland Election 2020: Absolute Red Majority
Doskozil first took over the state party from Hans Niessl and then the highest office in Burgenland in 2019. After the red-blue coalition was dissolved, elections were held in January 2020. Gains, an absolute red majority and thus the opportunity to implement all his ideas were the result. The minimum wage for state employees, the employment of caring relatives, the takeover of businesses by the state - called "Doskonomics" by the SPÖ itself and critics -, free kindergarten or free recorders are among them. In the energy sector, the goal of self-sufficiency and climate neutrality by 2030 was set, and while hospitals or departments are being closed in other federal states, Burgenland is building and planning new ones, as Doskozil repeatedly emphasizes.
Initially, however, the newly elected governor had to manage the Corona pandemic from the beginning of 2020. Public life came to a standstill and as soon as the Covid vaccination was widely available, the state started vaccinating. The vaccination rate was high in Burgenland and so Doskozil went his own way here too. He let the Burgenlanders stroll around Lake Neusiedl or shop in the Designer Outlet while the rest of Austria was still in lockdown at home.
Defeat for Doskozil
Not only with this did he draw the ire of his then federal party leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner. The relationship with the state party had not been the best since the Red-Blue coalition. Doskozil seemed to miss no opportunity to tell the chairwoman what he would do differently and better. Until finally, he officially applied for the chairmanship, was able to win the member survey, but lost to Andreas Babler at the special party conference - after the well-known counting mishap. For a short weekend, Doskozil was the SPÖ leader, then it was clear that he would stay in Burgenland after all.
The two Reds also have different approaches to the issue of asylum, where the former Burgenland state police director and later defense minister takes a strict course. During the refugee crisis in 2015, Doskozil gained nationwide fame as the then state police director who organized the onward transport of refugees. However, in view of the high number of irregularly entered migrants and smugglers arrested at the border in Burgenland, he later demanded a cap of 10,000 asylum applications in Austria.
Zur Durchsetzung seiner Politik scheut Doskozil auch nicht davor zurück, den Verfassungsgerichtshof (VfGH) anzurufen. Erfolgreich war das Land etwa mit Verfassungsklagen gegen das ORF-Gesetz oder beim Verbot von Vollspaltenböden in der Schweinehaltung. Auch gegen jene in der Rinderhaltung wurde nun vorgegangen.
Die Bundespolitik wiederum sei für ihn nun kein Thema mehr, betonte Doskozil wiederholt und das hielt er auch in seinem eingangs erwähnten Buch fest. Auch Babler und seine Politik will er nicht mehr öffentlich kommentieren. Eigentlich, denn auch wenn er in keinem Bundesgremium selbst mehr vertreten ist, scheint es ihn doch immer wieder zu jucken. Und so hielt er auch die nun geplatzten Regierungsverhandlungen für einen Fehler. Zumindest mit dem Nachbarbundesland passt die Chemie: Die steirische Landespartei übernahm kürzlich Max Lercher, der Doskozil in der Vorsitzfrage offen unterstützt hatte.
Mehrere OPs bei Doskozil
Im Burgenland ist Doskozil der erste Platz nicht streitig zu machen. Laut einer Umfrage der "BVZ" ist sogar die neuerliche Absolute innerhalb der Schwankungsbreite möglich. Stoppen konnte ihn im Vorwahlkampf nur seine Gesundheit. Anfang November musste sich Doskozil zunächst seiner achten Operation am Kehlkopf unterziehen, eine Lungenentzündung erschwerte anschließend die Heilung. Kurze Zeit musste der Landeshauptmann komplett ohne Stimme auskommen, wie er später bekannt gab, bevor er knapp vor Weihnachten wieder öffentlich auftrat.
Das ist Hans Peter Doskozil
Zur Person: Hans Peter Doskozil, geboren am 21. Juni 1970 in Vorau in der Steiermark, lebt im Bezirk Oberwart. Polizist, zuletzt Landespolizeidirektor (bis 2016), berufsbegleitend Studium der Rechtswissenschaften. SPÖ-Gemeinderat in Grafenschachen von 2007 bis 2012, Verteidigungsminister von 2016 bis 2017, ab Dezember 2017 Landesrat, seit 8. September 2018 SPÖ-Landesparteichef, seit 28. Februar 2019 Landeshauptmann des Burgenlandes. In zweiter Ehe verheiratet, Vater zweier Kinder aus erster Ehe.
(APA/Red)
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