Austria’s chancellor Christian Stocker has proposed a binding nationwide referendum on the future of military service, amid growing concerns over the country’s defence readiness and Europe’s deteriorating security situation.
Speaking at the centre-right Austrian People’s Party’s (ÖVP) New Year event in Vienna on Friday, January 30th, Stocker said that such a far-reaching change should not be imposed without popular consent, making a binding referendum necessary.
Austria currently requires men aged 18 to 35 to complete six months of basic training, with the option of alternative civilian service. Women may serve voluntarily.
However, pressure has been mounting to modernise the system, which critics argue is no longer suited to current security threats.
Stocker warned that a militia model without mandatory training exercises would leave the armed forces unable to meet day-to-day operational demands. He called for a modern military capable of daily readiness, built on compulsory service and a functioning reserve system.
Any reform, he added, would also include civilian service as a recognised alternative, requiring parliamentary approval.
The announcement follows proposals presented earlier this month by a government-appointed military service commission set up by defence minister Klaudia Tanner of the ÖVP.
While Tanner has avoided endorsing a specific model, she has strongly supported the reintroduction of compulsory militia exercises, which were suspended in 2006.
The commission is expected to recommend extending basic military service and reinstating mandatory reserve training.
Its preferred ‘Austria Plus’ model would introduce eight months of basic service followed by two months of militia exercises—an approach most commission members see as the most cost-effective option.
Political reactions have been divided. The liberal NEOS party, a junior coalition partner of the ÖVP, continues to favour a professional army, while the opposition right-wing FPÖ has voiced strong support for longer compulsory service.
The debate unfolds against a backdrop of growing public anxiety about security.
A 2025 study by the INTEGRAL research institute found that more than half of Austrians believe Europe could be on the brink of a Third World War, yet only 16% said they would be willing to take up arms to defend their country.
Across Europe, the picture is similarly bleak: fewer than half of Europeans say they would fight for their country, while over two-thirds believe their state could not defend itself militarily against a Russian attack.
