Austria Negotiates Military Service Extension

The Austrian government faces a five-day deadline to reach an agreement on extending military and civil service models before a council.

The Austrian federal government is negotiating an extension of basic military service following a January report from the Military Service Commission. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Chancellor Christian Stocker initially proposed an 8+2 model, consisting of eight months of service and two months of militia exercises. Stocker later proposed a 6+3 model in a Krone interview, conditioned on extending civil service. While the ÖVP plans to extend civil service from nine to twelve months—a move supported by the FPÖ—the Neos oppose this extension despite agreeing to the 6+3 military model alongside the SPÖ. The SPÖ previously favored maintaining the six-month duration, while the Neos suggested a voluntary Swedish-style system. A ministerial council is scheduled at Salzburg's Schwarzenberg barracks, with five days remaining to finalize the agreement.