№183: Austria’s Modus Operandi: Variable Neutrality in Action
№183: Austria’s Modus Operandi: Variable Neutrality in Action

Author(s): Łukasz Ogrodnik
Contributor(s): Sławomir Dębski (Editor), Patrycja Sasnal (Editor), Wojciech Lorenz (Editor)
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Government/Political systems, International relations/trade, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: PISM Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych
Keywords: Austria; modus operandi; neutrality; foreign policy;
Summary/Abstract: Austria’s 65-year-old neutrality has been preserved through political consensus and growing public support. Over the years it has been a source of prestige for the country but also intense internal debate, especially before entering the EU or the establishment of Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Nowadays, it serves not only as a catchphrase for politicians but also as a political tool used internally and externally to secure Austria’s interest. In the internal dimension, it is used to legitimise various policies while in the latter case, its aim is to influence global affairs or to force better relations with other states, even at the expense of the country’s reputation as “permanently neutral.”

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