Party of Labour of Austria says no to extending military and civilian service

After much back and forth, the federal government in Salzburg decided to extend military and civilian service. This is a compromise solution between the three coalition parties. Specifically, basic military service will now last six months plus three additional months. These three extra months will not be completed consecutively, but rather divided. The exact details of this division remain unclear. Civilian service will also be extended to nine months plus two months, with the additional two months initially being voluntary. Should the number of conscripts fall below the annual target of 15,000 by more than 7.5 percent from 2028 onwards, civilian service will be permanently extended to eleven mandatory months starting the following year. This clause is referred to as the "military service guarantee."

The reform of military service is clearly linked to the ongoing rearmament and the increased integration of Austria and its armed forces into the military structures of NATO and the EU. The Schwarzenberg Barracks in Salzburg, where the Council of Ministers announced the extension of military and civilian service, is itself an expression of this military strategy: Investments of €2.5 billion are planned for air defense systems and short- and medium-range systems to be stationed there. The barracks are thus to be integrated into the German-initiated Sky Shield military project.

These plans, however, go even further. By 2032, defense spending is to be increased to two percent of GDP. Austria is to be increasingly transformed into an active component of the European and transatlantic imperialist bloc. The constant talk of "military preparedness" and "defense capability" merely serves to gloss over these plans and make them appear to be without alternative.

The already announced "military service guarantee" makes it clear that the government is also considering further extensions of military and civilian service. Furthermore, civilian service is not only seen as a source of cheap labor in the social sector, but also as a counter-model to military service, which is to be made as unattractive as possible in order to push more young men into basic military service.

The sweetener for the SPÖ in this compromise proposal was apparently an increase in the salary of conscripts to €1,000 per month. And, as Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler (SPÖ) enthusiastically announced, for the first time there would even be "a few days of leave" for conscripts – although it's not even clear yet how many days that will actually be.

That is far from sufficient. What is needed is not only higher pay – for both conscripts and those performing alternative civilian service – but also a fundamental improvement in working and living conditions. This includes, among other things, the consistent enforcement of labor laws, effective protection against overtime and harassment, and better accommodation and care standards. Furthermore, we demand:

Six months is enough. No extension of military or civilian service!

Not a single cent for new weapons and new armor!

End all foreign deployments of the Austrian Armed Forces!

An end to participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace, EU Battlegroups and Sky Shield!

A clear rejection of the repeatedly demanded EU army!

Strict adherence of army doctrine to perpetual neutrality!

Active Austrian peace policy instead of participation in geopolitical rearmament and warmongering!