Should Austria maintain its policy of neutrality?

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

Over the last few days, as Finland joined NATO, I decided to refresh my memory of the countries that are in NATO, but to my surprise, Austria was absent.

I decided to look up the reason why and apparently it's because "Austria is bound to neutrality by the 1955 Austrian State Treaty and its constitution, which prohibits entry into military alliances and the establishment of foreign military bases on Austrian territory".

I didn't know about this. The only European country that I knew of with a policy of neutrality is Switzerland. Why does Austria have a policy of neutrality, and should it end?

[Estrella]

Why does Austria have a policy of neutrality...

Khrushchev saw no point in maintaining a costly occupation force in a country with little economic or strategic value. It got rid of a diplomatic sore spot, eased tensions with the West at no cost and won over the Austrian government. The neutrality was the only real concession to the Soviets. NATO didn't really need the country (the Soviet bloc had Austria nearly surrounded anyway) and Austrians were happy to take it if it meant ending the occupation.

...and should it end?

Ideally yes, but there's also no reason why it couldn't continue. Russia isn't an immediate threat to Austria in the same way as to Finland, which is why there isn't enough political willpower to change things*. Of course, the treaty mandating Austria's neutrality is still technically in force, but as long as Putin is in power the only correct answer to '[insert any European country] has legal obligations towards Russia' is 'lol'.

_{* Another reason is that Russophilia and occasional outright Russian nationalism are just as widespread in other German-speaking countries as in Germany. FPÖ and KPÖ make AfD and Die Linke look sane. So does the Swiss SVP, by the way.}

[Oryxslayer]

The neutrality policy is a legacy of the cold war, when it was necessary for agreement between the great powers to end their occupations and allow Austria to unite into one country once more

Now on whether it should end? I'm not Austrian so I won't speak for others, but I will note most other countries who hypothetically could have been put in similar positions would have ditched the policy at the end of the cold war. But Austrian leaders perceive no need since they are surrounded on every side by economic partners or the most neutral country ever. For any agressor to attack Austria presently would require them to fight through the EU and NATO, and that would be very difficult.  Austria can therefore be viewed today as a NATO free rider.

[Frodo]

With the eastern frontier pushed as far as it has been since the end of the last Cold War, at this point it makes no difference to anyone what decision Austrian voters ultimately make.  I know it sounds brutal, but it is true.  Austria is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.  It might have made more of a difference in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, but now?  Do whatever. 

[DavidB.]

It would be better if they joined the Western defense system - and at the very least stop being Russia's spy office in the EU - but the political will for this is apparently lacking. Don't think any of the big parties support Austria ending its policy of neutrality. Ultimately it's up to them.

In the end, due to them being infested by Russian spies, I wouldn't trust them even if they were to join NATO. And it's not as if they are particularly needed. So keep it as it is, I guess.

[Zinneke]

I think, and I'm not trolling or drunk, that the other EU powers should seize the moment and blackmail Switzerland into a relationship of subservance and total EU hegemony. Then do the same to Austria and Hungary. If the senior leadership of the major European powers had any semblance of putting the interests of their electorates above their own, they would have done this. Instead, we have Russian assets among our ranks in the corridors of Berlaymont, while Von Der Leyen has her Swiss bank account ready. But quick point to Qatargate! Horrible!

[CumbrianLefty]

Its ultimately up to them.