On January 20, the twelfth day of compulsory military service took place under the motto “70 years of the Federal ArmyYesterday. Today. Tomorrow.” took place in Vienna. The purpose of the day is to present the objectives of the “Conscription for a Resilient Austria” platform with regard to strengthening comprehensive national defense, compulsory military service, the militia system and budgeting to political decision-makers and the public and to exchange views on these issues. The “Conscription for a military Austria” platform comprises 20 member associations with around 200,000 members.
“European and global conflicts, especially those in Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war), show that we have to deal intensively with the issue of Austria’s ability to defend itself,” says Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. “I am all the more pleased when interest groups such as this one deal with such issues and consider ways to make Austria more secure. This kick-off event is a very good start to our anniversary year under the motto ’70 years of the Austrian Armed Forces – 70 years always ready’.”
The member associations of the platform include, for example: the Officers’ Society, Non-Commissioned Officers’ Society, Chargengesellschaft, Milizverband Österreich, Interessensgemeinschaft der Berufsoffiziere, Vereinigung Österreichischer Peacekeeper, Kameradschaftsbund, Schwarzes Kreuz and the Pharmazeutischer Kameradschaftsbund. The umbrella organization is non-partisan and committed to the constitutional mission of national defence. It was founded on September 22, 2013 in the course of the referendum “Compulsory military service vs. professional army”.
The referendum on compulsory military service in Austria was held on January 20, 2013. The vote was on the abolition of compulsory military service; this initiative was launched during the election campaign in October 2010. At the end of 2012, the parties and the then Federal President Heinz Fischer set the referendum for 2013. There were two questions to choose from: “Are you in favor of introducing a professional army and a paid voluntary social year?” and “Are you in favor of retaining compulsory military service and civilian service?”. The result of the vote was 59.7 percent in favor of compulsory military service with a voter turnout of 52.4 percent.
During the event, General Edmund Entacher outlined the past from the Bärentatze exercise (1969) to the end of the 20th century. The Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Robert Brieger, then explained the geopolitical challenges facing the EU and called for Austria’s solidarity. The new Crisis Security Advisor in the Federal Chancellery, Peter Vorhofer, outlined the requirements for state resilience. Brigadier Erich Cibulka, Chairman of the umbrella organization, used his closing words to address three wishes to a future federal government: 1. an increase in defence spending to 2 percent of GDP 2. the reintroduction of mandatory military exercises 3. a commitment to an efficient air defence system
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