Austria Considers Extending Mandatory Military Service to Ten Months

Austria’s coalition government is debating a reform of the basic military service, which currently lasts six months. The Defence Commission’s January recommendation to extend it to ten months has sparked a political split. The governing ÖVP and Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner support the “Österreich plus” model, while the SPÖ and NEOS propose alternatives such as a “6+2” system (six months conscription plus two months of compulsory militia training) or a “6+3” model backed by Chancellor Christian Stocker. Critics argue the longer service would be costly, and there is no consensus on a possible extension of civil service to twelve months. If parties fail to agree by summer, the chancellor may call a public referendum. As one commentator put it, “Der Feind wartet nicht, bis sich die Politik geeinigt hat.”