Austria–NATO Relations

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

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. 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.

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 , including Kosovo, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where it has led the EUFOR mission there since 2009.

Austria's NATO membership debate

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. 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. Conservative politician Andreas Khol, the 2016 presidential nominee from the ÖVP, has also argued in favor of NATO membership for Austria.
However, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer stated that the country would continue its policy of neutrality. On 10 July 2024, Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said that Austria was not considering joining NATO, but planned to cooperate with the alliance. 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."

Opinion polls on Austrian membership of NATO

Membership is not widely popular with the Austrian public. 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.

Relationship timeline

Austria's foreign relations with NATO member states

See also

* 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

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

References

External links

Official website of Austria's mission to NATO
– NATO website

Austria–NATO relations
Foreign relations of Austria
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