Ernst Strasser

Ernst Strasser (* 29 April 1956 in Grieskirchen, Upper Austria) is a former Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) politician and former Federal Minister of the Interior in Austria (2000–2004), Member of the European Parliament (2009–2011) and bearer of the "Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash". Since 2014, he works as an Entrepreneur in the Mergers and acquisitions sector and is also a hotel owner.

Personal life Ernst Strasser was born in 1956 as the son of farmers in Upper Austria. After the elementary school in Grieskirchen, he attended the "Bundesgymnasium und Sportrealgymnasium HIB Saalfelden" and later the upper school in "BORG Grieskirchen", where he graduated in 1975 as a school spokesman. Between 1971 and 1975, he was involved in Catholic youth organisations in Grieskirchen. Ernst Strasser studied Jurisprudence at the University of Salzburg between 1975 and 1980 and graduated there to the Doctor of Laws in 1981. During his studies he was a member of the main committee of the students union at the University of Salzburg as well as social referent of the same organisation. From 1980 to 1981 he did community service as an alternative to military service.

In 1998, Ernst Strasser was elected president of Hilfswerk Österreich, the largest health care aid organisation in Lower Austria, that provides help for children and adolescents with more than 4,000 employees and over 20,000 clients. The focus of his term until 2011 was the relocation of the state office in the government district to St. Pölten, the establishment of home service, the establishment of the visit service for older citizens, the opening of the first company kindergarten in Lower Austria, the launch of the "Lower Austrian women's telephone" as well as the consolidation and securing of financing of the organisation.

Ernst Strasser is married to Elisabeth Strasser, who brought two children into the marriage. The couple lives in Vienna and Bad Ischl. and from 2006 to 2014 he was Managing Partner at GP-Beteiligungs- und Verwaltung GesmbH. Until March 2011, Ernst Strasser was also a member of the supervisory board of Westbahn and G4S. In addition, he has been an authorised representative of SCCB Consulting & Coaching since 2016.

In May 2019, Ernst Strasser took over the hotel Hubertushof in Bad Ischl.

One company, Business Consulting & Development GmbH, is said to have imported olive oil from Syria. Another company had links to Hungarian bribery investigations.

Austrian vice-chancellor and ÖVP leader Josef Pröll had called for the deputy's "immediate resignation from all political posts," describing his behaviour as "unacceptable". After initially fighting the claims, Strasser announced his resignation on Sunday, noting: "I have decided to take this step because there has been a campaign against me in Austria" and this was "damaging the People's Party."

On 14 January 2013, Strasser was sentenced to 4 years jail.

Honours and achievements 2002 Order of St. Gregory the Great 2003 Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash