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 4000 employees and over 20000 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.

[2] After completing his military service, Ernst Strasser began his career as a secretary of the Austrian Farmers' Association under the former director Josef Riegler.

Then he moved to the legal department of the Upper Austrian Farmers' Union, where he took over the position of a Federal Minister two years later.

After the election of Josef Riegler to the leader of the Austrian People's Party, Ernst Strasser followed him and worked as an office manager of the chairman until 1990.

[1] From July 2009 to March 2011 Ernst Strasser was head of delegation of the Austrian People's Party in the European Parliament.

[5] On 20 March 2011, Britain's Sunday Times reported that three MEPs, including Austria's Ernst Strasser, had accepted offers of up to 100,000 euros ($141,000) per year in exchange for proposing amendments in the EU parliament.

[6] 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.