Drumbeat:

Ex-politician Westenthaler as new ORF spook

Peter Westenthaler is back

(Bild: APA/HERBERT NEUBAUER)

A political bombshell on the Küniglberg: According to information from "Krone", Peter Westenthaler is to join the ORF Foundation Council as an FPÖ representative. He is to replace lawyer Niki Haas, whose line was apparently not sharp enough for the party. With Westenthaler, the Freedom Party is now relying on a "profound expert of the Austrian media landscape", as stated in a press release on Monday. 

Haas resigned his mandate on Monday. "Professional reasons" were cited as the reason for his withdrawal. The FPÖ will continue to rely on his expertise as a media lawyer.

Known as the chief intervener on ORF
Westenthaler was the FPÖ's club chairman in Wolfgang Schüssel's black-blue government. He was a tough and eloquent FPÖ General Secretary, later BZÖ leader and club chairman. And he was known as the chief intervener on ORF. Now he is returning to politics there of all places. As an FPÖ representative on the ORF Foundation Council, to be precise. The board is not new territory for him. He already sat on the former "ORF Board of Trustees" from 1999.

Peter Westenthaler is back

(Bild: APA/HERBERT NEUBAUER)

Fight against the household levy
The attack on ORF and the fight against the household levy for all are central to the current FPÖ election campaign. And Westenthaler has already learned this under Jörg Haider and his speechwriter Herbert Kickl. Now he is taking on a central role in the FPÖ's external media presence.

FPÖ General: "Voicein the interests of the population"
 Westenthaler is not only a liberal voice on the ORF Foundation Council, but also a "voice in the interests of the population", FPÖ media spokesman Christian Hafenecker was convinced. He once again took the opportunity to point out that the FPÖ would abolish the ORF contribution in the form of a household levy if it were in government. The aim should be a "slimmed-down basic broadcasting service", said Hafenecker.

Several months in custody
In March 2018, 56-year-old Westenthaler stood trial for embezzlement due to a concealed 300,000 euro donation from the lotteries in the 2006 election year. He was sentenced to several months in prison.

Westenthaler in the video in February 2019: "In prison, you simply stop functioning"

Westenthaler had already landed in court years earlier for giving false testimony. His bodyguard had beaten up a party employee after the 2006 National Council elections. During the trial, Westenthaler stated that he had not witnessed the attack. Only last September were further proceedings against him for alleged incitement to hatred dropped. All investigations against him in the Novomatic case were also dropped.

Foundation Board has 35 members
Now the FPÖ has appointed him to the ORF Foundation Board. This is the highest supervisory body of the ORF and has 35 honorary members who are not subject to instructions. The members of the board are appointed by the government (9), parliamentary parties (6), federal states (9), the ORF Audience Council (6) and the ORF Central Works Council (5) and are - with a few exceptions - organized in party-political "circles of friends". The ÖVP currently has a majority with its delegates and members with close ties to the Turks.

Every five years, the Board of Trustees appoints the ORF Director General and, shortly afterwards, a maximum of four directors and nine regional directors at the suggestion of the Director General. The board members approve financial and staffing plans as well as other important corporate decisions. The Board of Trustees also decides on increases in the ORF contribution and each year on the annual financial statements and the program schedule of the public broadcaster.

After Constitutional Court ruling: Government must quickly implement committee reform
The ORF committees and therefore also the Board of Trustees must be amended. Last year, the Constitutional Court (VfGH) ruled that the composition of the ORF Foundation Council and Audience Council is partially unconstitutional. The government has until March 2025 to carry out a reform of the bodies and thus iron out violations of the independence and pluralism requirement, which are primarily caused by the government having too much influence.