{{Short description|Austrian politician (born 1967)}} {{Expand German|topic=bio|Peter Westenthaler|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Peter Westenthaler | image = Westi002.jpg | office = Member of the Board of Trustees of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation | term_start = March 2024 | nominator = Austrian Freedom Party | office2 = Chair of the Alliance for the Future | term_start2 = 23 June 2006 | term_end2 = 30 August 2008 | predecessor2 = Jörg Haider | successor2 = Jörg Haider | office3 = {{NCA MP}} | term_start3 = 30 October 2006 | term_end3 = 28 October 2013 | nominator3 = Himself | 1blankname3 = Affiliation | 1namedata3 = Alliance for the Future | term_start4 = 29 October 1999 | term_end4 = 19 December 2002 | constituency4 = 9D – Vienna South | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|11|6|df=y}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | party = Independent | spouse = }} '''Peter Westenthaler''' (born "Peter Hojač", 6 November 1967, Vienna) is an Austrian politician. He assumed his mother's maiden name Westenthaler instead of his former surname Hojač (Czech). A member of Jörg Haider's Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) up to the so-called "Knittelfeld Putsch" of 2002,<ref>Art, David. ''The Politics of the Nazi Past in Germany and Austria.'' New York, NY: Cambridge UP, 2006. 193.</ref> he then worked for Frank Stronach's Magna Steyr, and in June 2006 was elected chairman of the newly founded Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ).
As leader of the BZÖ, Westenthaler was engaged in a heated dispute with FPÖ chairman Heinz-Christian Strache over which of the two political parties is the legal successor to the former FPÖ (the party before the split of 2005 which was a candidate at the 2002 Austrian legislative election).
On 30 August 2008, Peter Westenthaler was officially replaced as chairman of the Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) by party founder Jörg Haider.
In 2017, Westenthaler was convicted of fraud and embezzlement and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment. He was released from prison in January of 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fabian |first1=Schmid |title=ORF-Stiftungsrat Westenthaler intervenierte bei Strache, um Haft zu entgehen |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000221338/orf-stiftungsrat-westenthaler-intervenierte-bei-strache-um-haft-zu-entgehen |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=Der Standard}}</ref>
In March of 2024, Westenthaler became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, having been nominated by the Austrian Freedom Party.<ref>{{cite news |title=Regierung bestellt Westenthaler als FPÖ-Stiftungsrat für ORF |url=https://orf.at/stories/3350047/ |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=Austrian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> The council representing journalists at the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation criticized Westenthaler's appointment, citing concerns that he could have a conflict of interest, as he continues to be employed by other news media organizations.<ref>{{cite news |title=ORF-Redaktionsrat zu Westenthaler: Unterstellungen haltlos |url=https://orf.at/stories/3349842/ |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=Austrian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Westenthaler is employed by OE24.TV as a regular contributor to their debate programmes.<ref>{{cite news |title=SPÖ will Prüfung, ob Westenthaler mit ORF-Stiftungsrat vereinbar ist |url=https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000208247/spoe-will-pruefung-ob-westenthaler-mit-orf-stiftungsrat-vereinbar-ist |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=Derstandard}}</ref> As of 2024, Westenthaler was not a member of any political party.<ref>{{cite web |title=Westenthaler: Ein Politrabauke zelebriert mit ORF-Bashing sein Comeback |url=https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/westenthaler-ein-politrabauke-zelebriert-mit-orf-bashing-sein-comeback/402904033 |website=Profil |access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Westenthaler is married and has a daughter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pink |first1=Oliver |title=Peter Westenthaler: "Man wollte mich umbringen" |url=https://www.diepresse.com/504895/peter-westenthaler-man-wollte-mich-umbringen |access-date=2 February 2025 |work=Die Presse}}</ref>
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Westenthaler, Peter}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Austrian politicians Category:Freedom Party of Austria politicians Category:Alliance for the Future of Austria politicians Category:Austrian politicians convicted of crimes
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