Captured in neutrality?

CONTENTS

1.  Austria s Policy of Neutrality what does that denote 3  

2.  What did the neutrality of Austria mean for its foreign policy 3  

3.  Austria s final accession to European Union the absence of Principle of Neutrality 5  

4.  Why is the Principle of Neutrality still today so important for Austria 6  

5.  Austria s neutrality policy today: their opinion towards the Constitution of Europe with  

  regard to the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) 7  

6.  Conclusion: Why does Austria still need the principle of neutrality The future of Austria s  

  neutrality policy 9  

  This essay is going to examine Austria s policy of neutrality especially in the light of  its

  implications for the relationship to the European Union What was once enforced became an  

  important part of national identity and seemed also after the Cold War hindering an accession  

  of Austria to the European Community Over the past years Austria tried to adapt its principle  

  of neutrality and thereby finally became a full member of the European Union  1995.

  However the policy of neutrality is still on the agenda especially concerning the Constitution  

  for Europe The questions which will be addressed in that paper are: What is the meaning of  

  Austria s policy of neutrality in general What did this implied for Austria s foreign policy  

  and its relationship to European Community How comes that this principle is still so  

  important and how does Austria evaluate the Constitution for Europe in terms of neutrality  

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1. Austria’s Policy of Neutrality – what does that denote? According to definitions, a neutral country is one that takes no side for other parties in case of war hoping to avoid being attacked by some other country. Neutral countries thus therefore do not take part in any confederation or alliance and do not participate in wars except in the case of self-defence, otherwise loosing their status of neutrality. Austria is not the only neutral country in Europe: Switzerland, Norway and the European Union member states Sweden, Finland and Ireland also declared themselves being neutral although because of different

reasons. 1 For Austria, it is also part of their constitutional law: 50 years ago, on the 26 th of October 1955, Austria declared itself sempiternal independent. 2 This law was the condition for the

approval of the Soviet Union to the so-called “Österreichischer Staatsvertrag”, that led Austria again into independence and that, in contrast to other states, led to a withdrawal of all former

Allies of the 2 nd World War from its territory. This law meant that Austria obliges itself to

conduct neutrality similar as Switzerland, which implied that it must not accede to a military alliance and that it is only allowed to defend itself by all necessary measures. No other military basis can be established on its territory. Being in times of Cold War and threatened to be invaded by both the Western and the Eastern powers, it always accomplished a relative active neutrality policy. One proof for this is its early membership in the United Nations (since 1955) as well as in the Council of Europe (since 1956) and also its active engagement in the conference of OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe). The Austrian government successfully established itself as a neutral country and therefore became registered office for OSCE, organisations of United Nations and also 19 other international organisations plus other non-governmental organisations that have their seat in Vienna. However, for the Soviet Union the neutrality of Austria and also of Switzerland represented a prospective disadvantage for the NATO and therefore it always reminded Austria to keep to its principle. This resulted in the times of Cold War to the interpretation that Austria’s status of neutrality forbade a full accession to the European Community. Thus, only after the decay of the Eastern bloc, Austria had the opportunity to join the European Union.

2. What did the neutrality of Austria mean for its foreign policy?

Generally speaking, the foreign policy of Austria after its declaration of neutrality strived to keep a friendly relationship to the signing powers of the “Staatsvertrag” and was not really

1 See Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_country (3.12.05) and

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96sterreichische_Neutralit%C3%A4t (3.12.05)

2 See: „Bundesverfassungsgesetz vom 26. Oktober 1955 über die Neutralität Österreichs“ article 1

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registered by other countries as well as by its own population. The importance of the foreign policy did not change elementary before the change of government in 1970. By the very active and internationally eminently respectable social democratic chancellor Bruno Kreisky Austria’s foreign policy became more visible and part of public interest but thereby also more part of controversial debates also internationally. This development not only entailed the renunciation of the technocratic style of foreign policy of the 50s and 60s, but also the recognition of the obligation to change the situation of the missing of programmatic principles for foreign policy. Up to that point, foreign policy was rarely a part of party programmes. Unfortunately, the problem was that the whole development was nearly completely only connected with the person of Bruno Kreisky. However, it took eight years more, until 1978, to change this situation when this lack became apparent by a speech of conservative politician Alois Mock, who stated that without long-term conceptions, Austria will loose internationally weigh and that thereby, the credibility of Austria’s neutrality will suffer. He together with his party of conservative ÖVP and shortly later the SPÖ formulated applications for the parliament, which influenced the Austrian foreign policy in the 80s by stating general principles of foreign policy the first time.

Nonetheless, the first wide range of political and scientific discussions about neutrality arouse primal in connection with Austria’s accession to the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the beginning of the endeavours to establish a better relationship with the European Community (EC). In an official report about neutrality suggested by Austrian government, experts and appointees supported the political opinion, that a full membership of Austria in the EC was not possible with regard to the principle of neutrality. Overall the approach of the conservative party of ÖVP (Österreichische Volkspartei) towards a prospective membership of Austria in the EC was always more in favour whereas social democratic party SPÖ (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs) always emphasized the policy of neutrality in front of the whole world.

Growing of economic difficulties after 1970 resulted in more and more voices claiming that it is more advantageous to take part in the dynamic developments of the EC. Although there was still a strong scepticism towards limited possibilities in the field of prospective foreign policy in an EC because of being a neutral country, many people uttered that European integration becomes more and more important economically. These aspects were even more emphasized by the free trade associations with the EC of that time. Though only in the 80s became the number of supporters of an accession of Austria to the EC bigger than the number of opponents. Parts of this development were also the declarations of several interests groups

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