Austrians have decided by a large margin to retain military conscription, even though the end of the cold war two decades ago prompted most European countries to ditch the draft.
In modern Austria’s first-ever referendum on Sunday, 59.8 per cent opted to stick to the status quo, following a lively debate that divided not only voters but also the coalition government.
Just 40.2 per cent – fewer than expected – supported Chancellor Werner Faymann and Defence Minister Norbert Darabos’s argument that eight-million-strong Austria would be better served by a professional army.
Instead, they agreed with the Social Democrat Faymann’s coalition partners, the conservative People’s Party (OeVP), and with the head of the army, that relying only on volunteers would be an expensive mistake.
Interior Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner of the OeVP had said the current system “fits Austria like a glove and is the best guarantee for all future challenges”.
With the demise of the Soviet Union two decades ago removing the need for large armies, many countries in Europe have done away with the draft, including France in 1996 and Germany in 2011.
Darabos declared that the draft was outdated in an era of “counter-terrorism, cybercrime... (and) failed states”.