At the end of today’s Plenartags The MPs of the state defense and their challenges were devoted to the current security situation. The State Defense Report 20024/2025 Draws a continuously tense position. The reform and construction measures already set have already shown success, but the current operational capacity of the federal army remains restricted. The difficult personnel situation is still the central problem. According to the report, the measures taken by the Ministry of Defense are “largely exhausted”, additional incentives – especially in the grade – were no longer in the area of responsibility of the department.
The personnel question was also the main topic in the plenary debate. Both the government parties and the opposition factions saw urgent need for action and, in their view, mentioned necessary measures. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner was pleased with the cross -party consensus on the need to strengthen the Federal Army.
There were also two requests for resolution of the freedom, which were already rejected by the Defense Committee and that no majority found the plenary today – only the freedom vote for it. In it, on the one hand, they call for the attitude of payments to the “War Party Ukraine” about the European peace facility. This is justified in the Application With the tense budgetary situation in Austria and neutrality law concerns (266/a (e)).
The latter also has the FPÖ compared to the European Sky Shield Initiative (Essi), since it is not only an procurement platform, but also “firmly anchored in the structures of the NATO military alliance”. Therefore, the FPÖ calls for a further Motionnot to continue participating in Sky Shield and to announce all previous agreements (180/a (e)).
FPÖ about lack of personnel and neutrality law concerns
The ability of the Federal Armed Forces to defend Austria against every military attack is a goal worth supporting, but is currently a “pious wish to the Christ child,” FPÖ Member of the Member of Volker Reifenberger stated. If Defense Minister Tanner really wanted to achieve this goal, she would have to work to quadruple the mobile phone framework of 55,000 soldiers: to quadruise inside, extend basic military service and reintroduce mandatory militia exercises. In addition, the salary should be adapted to the level of the civil labor market and also recognized the academic training of officers financially, demanded Reifenberger. Only through sufficient staff could the budgetary “PS be brought to the ground”.
Christian Schandor (FPÖ) also dealt with the lack of personnel as a “Achilles heel” of the Federal Army. In order to meet this, it needs “national determination and social backing” but also a compensation of the investment backlog in the infrastructure. Schandor saw critically that the defense budget in 2025 and 2026 was just over 1 % of the gross domestic product.
His faction colleague Gerhard Kaniak emphasized that the FPÖ is committed to building up the skills in air defense in view of the modern forms of battle, but also to maintain neutrality. That is why she turns against an access to Essi, which, according to two international reports, is contrary to neutrality. Not only the procurement, but also the operation of the air defense systems would take place together with NATO, said Kaniak.
Axel Kassegger (FPÖ) also added the payments to the “War Party Ukraine” as “guardian of neutrality”. The European peace facility is a “perfection of the debt union”, which, despite saving savings, is filled with special financing in billions. Also due to the actions of Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, who, for example, held her first visit abroad as Foreign Minister in Ukraine, was not perceived by the state community with regard to its neutrality, said Kassegger.
Greens want investments in humans, not just in metal
In principle, the Armed Forces – also due to the initiatives of the previous federal government – are on a “good way”, Stated Green Member of David Stögmüller. However, many opportunities have been missed, especially in the area of staff. The fact that the birth -strong vintages were now retired is “no surprise” and it is needed “more investments in people, not just in metal”. Exceptions surveys have shown that in addition to the salary, the work environment and in particular the compatibility of work and family represented an essential problem area, explains Stögmüller. Not enough invested here. Stögmüller also suggested a “further development of the corporate culture” in the sense of personnel gain, which affects the handling of LGBTIQ+person, for example, and the termination of assistance operations, increasing the salaries of basic military services and the renovation of the barracks.
Meri Disoski (Greens) came across the initiatives of the freedom – according to her “two of many Putin -friendly initiatives” of the FPÖ. In view of the “daily brutal attacks in Russia”, even on civil goals, Ukraine urgently need support that payments to European peace facility are “by no means” contrary to neutrality. In addition to the support of Ukraine, however, it must also be ensured that no more money flows into the “Russian War Fund”, Disoski emphasized. Therefore, in the course of the debate, she brought in a motion for a resolution in which the Federal Government is asked to support proposals from the European Commission that Russian energy sports should be stopped completely and without a time limit by 2027 at the latest. Only the Greens voted for the application that he remained in the minority.
The coalition sees the reconstruction of the Federal Army in a good way despite the challenges
Exactly 50 years ago, the comprehensive national defense was anchored in the federal constitution and its importance was “more recent than ever,” said ÖVP mandate Friedrich Ofenauer. The public awareness of this has “eroded” somewhat in recent decades, but Defense Minister Tanner has initiated a “paradigm shift”. There is now also a “broad consensus” in parliament that the federal government can be equipped with sufficient budget so that Austria is defensive. But Tanner is also “not a sorceress” and could not compensate for the failures of decades in a few years. The Austrian economy also benefits from the necessary procurements and the European cooperation in the defense industry, according to Ofenauer.
Michael Hammer and Maria Neumann (both ÖVP) were pleased that, according to the defense report, the federal army’s development plan could be implemented with the estimated budget in the next two years. Hammer accused the FPÖ to reproduce the “Russian narrative”. Neumann stated Stögmüller that he “talks badly” the state of the Federal Army, which could act as “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Manfred Hofinger (ÖVP), on the other hand, spoke of a “success report” and listed a number of investments.
Robert Laimer (SPÖ) interpreted the state defense report more as a “warning signal”. Even if the structure of the Federal Army is on a “good way”, he shows that Austria’s military defense is currently not sufficient. This is mainly due to the personnel situation. In his view, Laimer called some measures to be taken in this area and advocated that the Ministry of Defense also received sovereignty. In addition, he emphasized the importance of missions abroad, for example, within the framework of the EU, the UN and the OSCE to maintain the stability in the area of Europe.
Petra Oberrauner (SPÖ) turned against the initiatives of the FPÖ and spoke, for example, with regard to Sky Shield of an “active defense of neutrality”, to which Switzerland was also known as neutral land. Petra Tanzler (SPÖ) advocated using the potential of women for the army in view of the personnel problem. Her faction colleague Paul Stich spoke of the need to counter those global political actors who see war as a permissible means of geopolitics.
Austria had “looked at too isolated” for too long, while his neighbors had started to cooperate, for example in the procurement, said Douglas Hoyos-Trautmansdorff (NEOS). The importance of European cooperation would be a “security policy declaration of bankruptcy”. The FPÖ has not yet “arrived in reality” and wants to “deliver Austria to a dictator”, says Hoyos-Trauttmansdorff
Tanner delights about extensive consensus on strengthening the federal army
The speeches of the MPs showed that with regard to the budgetary and personnel strengthening of the Federal Army “there was a widespread consensus across all party borders”, Defense Minister Tanner was pleased. The “joint effort” to implement the comprehensive state defense would also lead to the goal at the end of the day. Tanner took up a turn of Christian Schandors (FPÖ) and also emphasized the importance of “national determination. To David Stögmüller, she explained that the” bad speeches “of the Federal Army would not help to catch up with the failures of decades. There were already a few positive developments. For example, the early departures had already decreased by 74 %, Tanner reported) wit
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