“Zackzack.at”, the left-wing online medium of ex-politician Peter Pilz, has experienced remarkable growth. NEOS returnee Sepp Schellhorn joins the portal. The question of compatibility causes discussions.
Schellhorn spoke to the ‘Standaard’ about a ‘symbolic participation’, which amounted to only two percent. It is “important to him that social media platforms like ‘Zackzack’ exist and that they become broader.” The question of compatibility (if a politician owns shares in a medium) was not raised.
It remains to be seen whether Schellhorn’s participation will impact future coverage of Zackzack.at. Regardless, Schellhorn’s new involvement is already being hotly debated on X.
According to the company’s submission, ‘Zackzack.at’ – the platform that emerged from Pilz’s parliamentary list – has existed since May 2020. Funds flowed from the party academy to the creation of the medium after the list was led by former Green Party member Peter Pilz left.
Financial problems
It’s no secret that the portal, which mainly serves the left-wing fringe, is not a bed of roses financially. The starting capital of 1.2 million quickly ran out and last summer almost the entire editorial staff had to be fired. There was a complete shutdown in the room, donations have kept the medium alive until now.
Educational association owns 50 percent of the shares
There are now also some small shareholders. In addition to Schellhorn, shares are owned by scientists such as biochemist Renée Schröder and computer scientist Hannes Werthner. The new shareholders own between one and five percent of Zack Media GmbH, a total of 34 percent. The educational association Offen Gesellschaft owns 50 percent of the shares. The second largest shareholder is Pilz itself with 26 percent.
Schellhorn officially returned to the political arena in January after two and a half years. At the end of February, he took over the National Council mandate from Julia Seidl, who previously announced her withdrawal because she wanted to focus on the municipal elections in Innsbruck, where she will stand as a pink top candidate. Schellhorn served on the NEOS National Council until 2021.
“After the political developments, I simply could no longer continue as an entrepreneur and as a political person. “It needs to be cleaned up,” Schellhorn said, explaining his return.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
