Austria has unveiled a plan to expand its influence on the international diplomatic stage based on its status as a neutral country. Earlier, Austria declared itself a permanently neutral state in 1955, pledging not to intervene in other countries' wars in exchange for guarantees of its own security, signaling its intention not to join military alliances while also banning the stationing of foreign troops.
According to Bloomberg and other foreign media, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said in a recent interview that "not being part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is actually an advantage," adding, "We recognize that we must always focus on dialogue." This is interpreted to mean that Austria, which does not belong to a specific camp, is well suited to act as a mediator in conflicts between states.
Minister Meinl-Reisinger, who took office as foreign minister as part of the three-party coalition government (Austrian People's Party, Social Democratic Party, NEOS) launched in Mar., is focusing on highlighting Austria's profile in international diplomacy. Affiliated with the left-leaning NEOS party, she has proposed Vienna as the venue for peace talks to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war and has urged nuclear negotiations between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), headquartered in Austria, and Iran.
In particular, Minister Meinl-Reisinger is putting forward Austria's long tradition as a neutral country as a diplomatic asset. In the past, Austria expanded its influence in Europe not through war but through diplomacy and marriage alliances during the Habsburg Empire, and it produced the diplomat Klemens von Metternich, who rebuilt the European order after the Napoleonic Wars, indicating that it has long cultivated the qualities of a mediator.
In fact, Austria is credited with serving as a gateway connecting the two blocs at the boundary between the Soviet Union's communism and the West's liberal camp during the Cold War. In 1955, it ended Allied occupation and maintained a militarily nonaligned course while hosting the headquarters of major international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), thereby consolidating its position as a neutral country.
Although Austria's neutral course enjoys broad public support, some argue that it has lost effectiveness after the Russia-Ukraine war. Austria currently relies on the deterrence of neighboring NATO members Slovakia and Hungary, and its defense spending is only about 1% of gross domestic product (GDP), leaving it with a serious security gap.
Austria's economy, which has close ties with Russia, is also open to controversy as a neutral state. In the capital Vienna, legal and consulting networks that primarily serve Russian clients are active, and Russian tycoons are known to own multiple properties in the area. Previously, local Raiffeisen Bank faced pressure from the United States and the European Central Bank (ECB) after delaying its exit from Russia.
Meanwhile, some analysts say the status of neutral countries is being shaken by security shifts stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war and Trump's return to power. Earlier, Switzerland, the first neutral country, sent army troops to a joint Austria-Germany exercise in Apr., drawing attention as its first participation in foreign military training since 2003. Later, after being hit with a 39% tariff by the United States in Aug., internal calls grew for building closer ties with the European Union (EU).