Austria reaches agreement on military service reform

The Austrian governing coalition has reached an agreement on a model for reforming compulsory military service. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer stated that the additional costs associated with the reform are financially secured.

The proposed model for military service includes six months of basic training, followed immediately by one month of exercises. An additional two months of militia exercises would be completed at a later date.

Regarding civilian service, the duration is planned to remain at nine months, with the option for voluntary extension. However, the service could be extended to eleven months if there are insufficient recruits for active military duty. Because changes to civilian service require a two-thirds majority, the coalition's proposal will be presented to the FPÖ and the Greens to seek consensus. The Greens are currently advocating for higher compensation for civilian service to match the proposed increases for military service.