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Austria's
New Security Concept
The Break Away of a Former
Non-Aligned and Neutral Country in the Light of the
Developing CESDP
By Dr. Georg Schöfbänker
<schoefbaenker@magnet.at>
Director, Austrian Information-Center for Security Policy
and Arms Control, Linz.
Since end of Feb. 2000 a new Austrian government
came to office including an extreme right-wing party, the
Freedom Party (FPÖ). Since then, the new Austrian
government is isolated within EU and most of the world,
as no other national government of an EU-member state has
ever been in history. Despite this domestic and home
grown isolation caused by the fact that the FPÖ
constantly has conducted a racist, exclusionary, and
jingoistic policy in a style which is exceptionally
repugnant, the security concept of the new Austrian
government is in some way completely ad odds with ESDI
and ESDP as outlined at the EU-summits from Cologne to
Helsinki in 1999.
The new governmental agreement between the Peoples
Party and the FPÖ proposes and demands inter
alia:
- "that a guarantee of mutual assistance between the
EU countries become part of the EU body of law ... in
the event of an armed attack on one member state the
other EU states will afford it all the military and
other aid and assistance in their power, in accordance
with the provisions of Article 51 of the United
Nations Charter".
- "that, in the event of a further development of
Austria's foreign and security policy ... the federal
constitutional law on neutrality will be redrafted to
make it clear that it does not apply to Austria's
active participation ... in the development of the
European Union's common security and defence policy
and to participation in a European peace, security and
defence community ... including a guarantee of mutual
assistance."
- "... Austria will be enabled to support peace
operations of other international organizations that
are carried out without a pertinent UN Security
Council resolution but in compliance with the
principles of the UN Charter in order to prevent
humanitarian disasters or to put an end to severe and
systematic human rights violations."
These proposals and demands are likely to cause raised
eyebrows. Why should the EU incorporate in its body of
law a mutual military assistance guarantee between EU
countries which already exits within WEU and NATO? In
case of the ongoing EU enlargement negotiations such a
guarantee might provoke Russia as did NATO expansion on
unnecessary reasons.
Anyway, the new Austrian security concept has made
clear that the current government will likely apply for
NATO membership next year, when, after the Russian and US
presidential elections have been decided, NATO will have
to define its further course of cooperation or
enlargement policy. Austria is hoping to be part of a
'three-pack-enlargement' together with Slovenia and
Slovakia which would constitute a joint strategic
territory in the middle of Europe. One of the concession
made to NATO for applying membership are - as mentioned
above - to be part of a possible intervention force
without a UN Security Council mandate. This is NATO's own
language as of 'Washington's new strategic concept' and
has been introduced and tested in NATO's Kosovo
intervention. On the domestic scene it is definitely
unclear whether this current government will sustain
three months or years. The opposition has a minority to
block all constitutionally changes in order to applying
for NATO-membership.
As to NATO's reaction there are four possible choices:
(1) general denial. This would constitute a paradox for
NATO, because this internationally isolated government
for the first time wrote a NATO membership into its
program. (2) Embrace and containment of possible right
wing dangers as NATO did historically in case of West
Germany. The Federal Republic of Germany could be
integrated in the early post-World War II period only
under the supervision of NATO on a long-term basis into
the west. (3) Ignoring the wish of Austria's
NATO-application. If there will be a formal second NATO
enlargement this likely will include Slovakia and
Slovenia. It would make sense for NATO to include Austria
as well to close the territorial gap in the middle of
Europe. (4) An intensified cooperation below the public
perception threshold. That stands in the governmental
program. And that slope this government wants to go along
in order to create therewith irreversible facts for a
full membership. Most likely, this will happen.
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