A broad alliance of politicians, pundits and businessmen opposes the mainstream debate on neutrality. In an open letter, he criticizes the “illusion (…) that Austria can stay the way it is, stay out and manage with a little more money for the federal army”. European politicians, for example, signed Othmar Karas (ÖVP), Former FPÖ Minister of Defense Herbert Scheibnerthe SPÖ related consultant rudi fussi and bank managers Andreas Treichl.
“Austria deserves the truth: the current situation is unsustainable and dangerous. Therefore, we continue to insist on our minimum demands: a serious, national and open discussion on the future of Austria’s foreign, security and defense policy and the adoption of a new security doctrine these circumstances into consideration,” he says of a first open letter last spring. In it, they called for a “debate without tapas” on neutrality, “led by an independent group of experts set up by the President of the Republic” and with broad participation by the population. This should lead to the adoption of a new Austrian security doctrine.
In addition to numerous diplomats and generals, the list of supporters also includes writers. Roberto Menasse It is Doron Rabinoviciformer NEOS MP and German presidential candidate Irmgard Grissformer president of the National Council Heinrich Neisser (ÖVP), former defense minister Friedhelm Frischenschlager (FPÖ, now NEOS), head of AMS João head, the director of the Diplomatic Academy Emil Brix, former editor-in-chief of “Presse” Rainer Nowakjournalist Robert Misikauthor Ali Mahlodji and former strategy adviser to former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Antonella Mei-Pochtler.
The signatories complain that their demands have not been seriously considered by any of the addressees (President of the Republic, Federal Government, National Council and population) in recent months. Although “non-aligned friends Sweden and Finland” are now joining NATO and neighboring countries Germany and the Czech Republic, which were equally wary of Russia in the past, are sending weapons worth billions to Ukraine, Austria continues to to act “as if the world stopped on February 23, 2022”.
Despite the budget increase, the army is still “unprepared to seriously defend its homeland and support other EU countries as promised”. “Our political position on security is ridiculed internationally by some, perceived by others as cowardly”, he says of neutrality, whose abolition is not openly demanded, but which is clearly classified as “anachronistic”. Leading politicians were told that they should “finally take these unpleasant questions seriously (…) and put them ahead of their own political calculations (…)”.
The authors of the open letter appeal to the population to discuss these important issues with other fellow citizens. “Many Austrians still seem to believe or hope that nothing has really changed for our country, that we can stay out of all military conflicts and protect ourselves independently for the foreseeable future, that a peaceful foreign policy alone guarantees our security and that our active participation in the stabilization of Europe is not required.” However, this idea contradicts global reality and is “dangerous for Austria as well as for Europe and unworthy of our self-confident and sovereign country”, according to the signatories, who specifically raise the question of how European defense will be guaranteed in the event of a withdrawal from the US as a protective power it can be.
The call was well received by NEOS. Defense spokesman Douglas Hoyos invited the letter’s signatories to a roundtable discussion. He pointed out that NEOS had been demanding an open discussion of security policy since the first day of the war, but the other parties had refused. “Refusal to discuss and arbitrariness motivated by humor on questions of foreign, geostrategic and defense policy endangers the security of Austria, this has to end,” said the secretary general of the smallest parliamentary party.
defense secretary Claudia Tanner (ÖVP) countered the charge that a security debate had been turned down. “The opposite is the case”, she pointed out in the “Tiroler Tageszeitung” to the decisions taken immediately after the outbreak of war to improve the equipment of the federal army. “We are constantly dealing with security policy. Because one thing is true: neutrality alone – including military neutrality – is not a protective shield,” she said. At the same time, she described military neutrality in the current war situation as “the absolutely right answer” and “absolutely necessary”.
“We all agree that nothing has been the same since February 24 last year,” said Europe Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP). It is “obvious that not only Austria but also the European Union is constantly thinking about how we will react to this,” she said in Brussels on Tuesday. “Countless states”, including Austria, have increased their defense budgets, and at the EU level, the “strategic compass” – a kind of political doctrine on security and defense – is pushing for better cooperation in this area. “We are fully aware that the security architecture in Austria, but also in Europe, must be rethought and we are committed to doing so”, emphasized Edtstadler. “Austria’s neutral status is recognized in the European Union,” she added. This will continue to “constructively refrain” when it comes to arms deliveries to Ukraine. In addition to weapons, the country also needs humanitarian support, such as that offered by Austria.
INTERNET: Open letter available at https://unsereSicherheit.org/2.-offener-brief