Austria to Extend Military Service as Ukraine War Alters Security Landscape
Austria's Military Service Reform in Response to Regional Security Changes
By Francois Murphy
Government Plans and Rationale
VIENNA, July 27 (Reuters) - Austria's coalition government plans to extend military service to nine months from six to adapt to a security landscape changed by the war in Ukraine, it said on Monday.
Austria's Traditional Military Role
Neutral Austria's armed forces have for decades served mainly as a kind of civil protection force, assisting the emergency services during natural disasters such as floods and wildfires, or performing border patrols to intercept illegal immigrants rather than stop advancing foreign troops.
The country has for years been trying to strengthen and better equip its military, which the authorities have long said would be unable to defend the homeland against serious attack by an outside power.
Impact of the Ukraine War
"The security conditions have changed fundamentally in the past years, months and weeks. The dream of a lasting peace in Europe shattered at the latest with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine," Chancellor Christian Stocker told a press conference at a military barracks outside Salzburg.
New threats have also emerged including hybrid attacks and cyberwarfare, he said while standing alongside the leaders of the two other ruling parties after a cabinet meeting.
"These developments show clearly that Austria must take charge to a greater extent of its own capabilities for self-reliance and protection of the population," he added.
Austria's Geopolitical Context
Bordering Countries and NATO
Austria is surrounded by eight countries, all but two of which - western neighbours Switzerland and Liechtenstein - are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Italy and Slovenia to the south, and Slovakia and Hungary to the east.
Details of the Proposed Changes
Military and Civil Service Options
Austrian boys and men currently have the choice, usually around their 18th birthday, between military service and a nine-month civilian alternative in which they typically work at institutions such as an ambulance service or retirement home.
Planned Extensions and Incentives
The government said it planned to make it possible to extend so-called civil service by two months on a voluntary basis.
It also plans to switch to a reservist model for military service in which conscripts must carry out follow-up exercises within 10 years of their initial service. To make military service more attractive, perks are planned, such as holiday days and almost doubling pay to 1,000 euros ($1,140) a month.
Legislative Hurdles
Making those changes will, however, require passing legislation with a two-thirds majority in parliament, for which the government needs the support of the opposition Greens or the far-right Freedom Party. Those talks have yet to start.
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(Reporting by Francois Murphy in Vienna; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
