Birthday party for former minister at taxpayer expense sparks outrage in Austria

A birthday celebration for former Austrian Interior Minister Ernst Strasser, costing taxpayers nearly 9,000 euros, has sparked outrage among political parties. The event, organized and funded by the Interior Ministry, has drawn criticism from the FPÖ and even from within the governing Neos party.

According to a parliamentary inquiry by the FPÖ, the party held on April 29, 2026, was attended by 61 guests out of 77 invited. The cost breakdown includes 8,230.32 euros for catering, staff, equipment, furniture, and decorations, and an additional 373.50 euros for cakes and 100 euros for flower bouquets, totaling 8,724.77 euros.

The guest list was notably high-profile, including successors to Strasser from various parties, the current Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, former governor Erwin Pröll, and former and current ministry officials, as well as journalists and personal acquaintances. The ministry defended the event, stating that the guest selection was "appropriate for the occasion and in accordance with protocol representation" and that it served as an "official, representative event of the Federal Ministry of the Interior in the sense of an exchange meeting."

This celebration comes despite Ernst Strasser's past conviction for bribery during his tenure as an EU parliamentarian in 2014, for which he received a three-year prison sentence. He has since served his sentence, including a period with an ankle monitor until September 2016. The ministry also noted that a similar celebration was held for Strasser's predecessor, Karl Schlögl, the previous year.

The FPÖ's Reinhold Maier criticized the expenditure, contrasting it with perceived austerity measures affecting the public and police force. The Neos party also expressed irritation over the use of public funds for such a celebration.