Austria–NATO relations

Bilateral relations

Austria – NATO relations

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Austria and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have a close relationship. Austria, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta are the only members of the European Union that are not members of NATO. Austria has had formal relations with NATO since 1995, when it joined the Partnership for Peace programme.

## History

[edit]

Map showing European membership of the EU and NATO

EU member only

NATO member only

member of both

Austria's neutrality is enshrined in law and treaty, but it participates in peacekeeping missions like Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Austria was occupied by the four victorious Allied powers following World War II under the Allied Control Council, similar to Germany. During negotiations to end the occupation, which were ongoing at the same time as Germany's, the Soviet Union insisted on the reunified country adopting the model of Swiss neutrality. The US feared that this would encourage West Germany to accept similar Soviet proposals for neutrality as a condition for German reunification.[1] Shortly after West Germany's accession to NATO, the parties agreed to the Austrian State Treaty in May 1955, which was largely based on the Moscow Memorandum signed the previous month between Austria and the Soviet Union. While the treaty itself did not commit Austria to neutrality, this was subsequently enshrined into Austria's constitution that October with the Declaration of Neutrality. The Declaration prohibits Austria from joining a military alliance, from hosting foreign military bases within its borders, and from participating in a war.[2]

Membership of Austria in the European Union (or its predecessor organizations) was controversial due to the Austrian commitment to neutrality. Austria only joined in 1995, together with two Nordic countries that had also declared their neutrality in the Cold War (Finland and Sweden). Austria joined NATO's Partnership for Peace in 1995, and participates in NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. The Austrian military also participates in the United Nations peacekeeping operations and has deployments in several countries as of 2022[update], including Kosovo, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it has led the EUFOR mission there since 2009.[2]

## Austria's NATO membership debate

[edit]

NATO member states

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Wolfgang Schüssel, Chancellor from 2000 to 2007 from the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), supported NATO membership as part of European integration.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and subsequent decision by Finland and Sweden to abandon decades of non-alignment and apply to join NATO, there has been renewed debate in Austria on joining the bloc, similar to how Austria joined the EU alongside Finland and Sweden.[3][4][5] On May 8, 2022, a coalition of politicians, diplomats, artists and business-people wrote an open letter to the Austrian government asking them to review their commitment to neutrality, however, the only party to openly support the effort was NEOS with just 15 of the 183 seats in the National Council.[6][7] Conservative politician Andreas Khol, the 2016 presidential nominee from the ÖVP, has also argued in favor of NATO membership for Austria.[8] However, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated that the country would continue its policy of neutrality.[9] On 10 July 2024, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that Austria was not considering joining NATO, but planned to cooperate with the alliance.[10] In July 2025, Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed openness to the country becoming a NATO member, stating that "although there are currently no majorities in parliament and in the population for joining NATO, such a debate can still be very fruitful."[11]

### Opinion polls on Austrian membership of NATO

[edit]

Membership is not widely popular with the Austrian public.[12] According to a survey in April 2023 by the Austrian Society for European Politics, only 21% of Austrians surveyed supported joining NATO, while 60% were opposed.

Opinion polls on Austrian membership of NATO Dates
conducted  | Pollster  | Sample
size  | Support  | Oppose  | Neutral
or DK | Lead  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

7 March 2024  | Sweden accedes to NATO
11–13 April 2023  | Austrian Society for European Politics  | 1000  | 21%  |

60%

| 19%  | 39%  | [13]
4 April 2023  | Finland accedes to NATO
18 May 2022  | Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership
6–12 May 2022  | APA | 1000  | 14%  | 75% | 11%  | 59%  | [14]
3-4 March 2022  | Austrian Society for European Politics  | 500  | 17%  |

64%

| 19%  | 47%  | [13]
24 February 2022  | Russia invades Ukraine
15-21 March 2021  | Austrian Society for European Politics  | 1000  | 23%  |

62%

| 15%  | 39%  | [13]
16 March 2014  | Russia annexes Crimea
7 August 2008  | Russia invades Georgia
July 1996  | IMAS research institute  | ?  | 16%  | 63% | 21%  | 47%  | [15]
July 1995  | IMAS research institute  | ?  | 18%  | 70% | 12%  | 58%  | [16]

## Relationship timeline

[edit]

Event | Date

|

Partnership for Peace | 1995-02-10

## Austria's foreign relations with NATO member states

[edit]

* Albania
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Canada
* Croatia
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
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## See also

[edit]

* Foreign relations of Austria
* Foreign relations of NATO
* Enlargement of NATO
* Partnership for Peace
* NATO open door policy
* Declaration of Neutrality
* Neutral member states in the European Union
* Accession of Austria to the European Union
* European Union–NATO relations

### NATO relations of other EU member states outside NATO

[edit]

* Cyprus–NATO relations
* Ireland–NATO relations
* Malta–NATO relations

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Austrian State Treaty, 1955". United States Department of State. 18 July 2008. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
2. ^ a b "EXPLAINED: The history behind Austria's neutrality". TheLocal. 8 February 2022. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
3. ^ Walter, Jan D. "Will Austria abandon neutrality to join NATO?". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
4. ^ Barber, Tony. "Rethinking neutrality in Europe". Financial Times. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
5. ^ Gady, Franz-Stefan. "Why Neutrality Is Obsolete in the 21st Century". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
6. ^ "Austria — it's time to join NATO". politico. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
7. ^ "Zweiter offener Brief an den Bundespräsidenten, die Bundesregierung, den Nationalrat und die Bevölkerung Österreichs". .unseresicherheit.org. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
8. ^ Hoare, Liam (22 March 2022). "As Finland and Sweden consider Nato membership, Austria clings to neutrality". The New Statesman. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
9. ^ "Austria's neutrality in the spotlight after Sweden-Finland NATO bid". EurActiv. 18 May 2022.
10. ^ "Austria has no plans to join NATO, foreign minister says". TASS. 10 July 2024.
11. ^ "'The world has changed,' — Austrian official signals openness to NATO membership debate after decades of neutrality". The Kyiv Independent. 27 July 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
12. ^ Scally, Derek (11 May 2022). "Austria holds to neutrality tradition despite Nordic shift to Nato". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
13. ^ a b c "ÖGfE survey: EU membership, Security and Partners on the Global Stage". Österreichische Gesellschaft für Europapolitik. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
14. ^ "Majority of Austrians reject joining NATO". thelocal.at. 6 May 2022.
15. ^ "Austrians begin to question neutrality". 24 July 1996.
16. ^ "Austrians begin to question neutrality". 24 July 1996.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website of Austria's mission to NATO
* Relations with Austria – NATO website

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