Jaksch challenges Petschnig for FPÖ Burgenland leadership

Burgenland state parliament member Mario Jaksch will challenge incumbent FPÖ state party leader Alexander Petschnig at the party conference in Jennersdorf on October 18, ORF reported. Jaksch said he wants to improve the party’s organisation.

The FPÖ achieved a strong result in the 2025 state election with Norbert Hofer as its lead candidate, Jaksch said, but its organisation had not developed since then. He cited insufficient involvement of and communication with local branches, and said the internal atmosphere needed to improve. He wants to strengthen the Burgenland branch to bring it in line with FPÖ state parties elsewhere in Austria.

Jaksch, 45, also plans to overhaul the state party office, both in staffing and in its premises. He wants it to serve party officials, saying too much had been left undone in areas including regular communication with grassroots members, building strong statewide structures and preparing municipalities more consistently.

Jaksch told the state parliament’s FPÖ group about his candidacy at a meeting on Wednesday evening. He is not seeking the group leader role held by Christian Ries, saying the state party leadership would already involve enough work. Jaksch said he believed he had a chance of defeating Petschnig.

Jaksch is a member of the municipal executive in his home municipality of Bruckneudorf and chairs the FPÖ’s Neusiedl am See district group. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science and has been a member of the Burgenland state parliament since last year.

FPÖ state managing director Rudolf Smolej said anyone had the right to stand for election at the party conference. Asked about Jaksch’s criticism of the state party office, Smolej said it was a very small organisation.