Since Austria still has no plans to join Nato, the country must consider how to strengthen its own security without the alliance’s protection.
Austria is among the last countries in the European Union where young men are required to complete compulsory basic military service. And that will not change any time soon.
The Austrian government announced last week that it not only has no plans to abolish the obligation, but instead intends to extend it.
“The dream of lasting peace in Europe has dissolved with the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Austrian chancellor Christian Stocker said, alongside the leaders of the two other governing parties and the head of an expert commission.
He added that the country faced new threats, including hybrid attacks and cyber warfare.
“These developments clearly show that Austria must assume greater responsibility for its own capacity for self-sufficiency and the protection of its population,” Stocker said.
The issue has sparked a broad debate in Austria not only about military service, but also about the army’s overall capabilities. According to some commentators, however, Vienna does not want soldiers solely for national defence; it also needs them to offset labour shortages.
How it would work
Austria currently has universal conscription for all male citizens who have reached the age of 17. If they pass the medical examination and are deemed fit for service, they can choose between two options: six months of basic military service or, in the case of conscientious objection, nine months of civilian service.
In the first case, conscripts spend their time in military units and barracks; in the second, they serve in various emergency services, hospitals or care homes.
The government plans to add a further three months of military exercises to the current six months.
“These compulsory militia exercises must be completed within 10 years. As a rule, those liable for military service will fulfil this obligation before reaching the age of 30,” the government said in an official document.
Civilian service will remain the same length, with an option to extend it voluntarily by two months. However, these may become compulsory in future if the Austrian army does not have enough conscripts — that is, if the annual number of basic military service conscripts falls below 15,000.
Video of an oath-taking ceremony in the Austrian army:
According to lieutenant general Erwin Hameseder, head of the expert commission, the changes are intended to ensure that the Austrian army has the right number of well-trained soldiers ready for deployment at the right time in future.
“A soldier is ready for deployment when they have a realistic chance of surviving on the modern battlefield,” Hameseder said at a joint press conference with government representatives.
The aim, he said, is to reduce the Austrian military’s response time as much as possible.
“We currently need two months to prepare for deployment. We can no longer work with that. This time must be reduced to days, and the new military service system must make that possible,” Hameseder said.
Basic-service soldiers and militia members during the Lizum-Walchen exercise at an altitude of 2,000 metres above sea level:
Experts’ criticism
As several Austrian media outlets noted, the head of the expert group appeared disappointed during the press conference. The experts had advocated the so-called Austria Plus model — eight months of basic military service and two months of additional exercises.
Hameseder said that a political compromise had prevailed, which was not “the optimal solution in substance”, but represented “significant progress” compared with the status quo.
“It does not fill me with enthusiasm, but it is a step that will move the Austrian Armed Forces significantly forward,” Hameseder said.
Austrian military expert Franz-Stefan Gady also criticised the change on social media, describing part of the reform as “not fully thought through”. Nevertheless, he believes future soldiers would enter deployment “better trained”.
The new model is expected to enter into force at the beginning of 2027, provided the Austrian government secures sufficient support from the opposition. As this is a constitutional law, a two-thirds majority is required to amend it.
Not defence, but exploitation?
The country is also debating civilian service, which conscripts may choose instead of serving in barracks.
Gerald Schöpfer, president of the Austrian Red Cross, welcomed the decision to extend civilian service initially on a voluntary basis and, if necessary, make the extension compulsory.
