Issue of Austria's neutrality again to the forefront

WHEN the Austrian Foreign Minister, Mr Wolfgang Schussel, said last week that his country would not join Nato in the near future, he signalled a truce in a long dispute over the issue within his own coalition government.

Mr Schussel's conservative People's Party has long favoured joining the Western European Union (WEU) and has been warming to the idea of Nato membership. But the larger Socialist Party, led by the Chancellor, Dr Franz Vranitzky, remains implacably opposed to an end to the Alpine republic's 40 year old policy of neutrality.

An opinion poll last week showed that 60 per cent of Austrians want to remain neutral, but an equal number believes Nato membership is inevitable. Support for neutrality was especially strong among the young and well educated, with the over 50s tending to favour Nato entry. The only party to call for immediate Nato membership is Dr Jorg Haider's far right Freedom Party but the small Liberal Forum favours joining the WEU.

The Greens' oppose any weakening of neutrality but some Socialists have voiced doubts about their party's reluctance to enter one of the defence pacts.

Austria agreed to a policy of permanent neutrality in 1955 in exchange for the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the eastern part of the country. Neutrality soon became extremely popular among Austrians. International organisations moved to Vienna and Austria enjoyed a broker's role during the Cold War.

When Austria became a member of the EU in January 1995, Dr Vranitzky insisted that the policy of neutrality remain unaffected. He gave a similar assurance when the country joined the Partnership for Peace a month later, negotiating a special agreement with Nato when Austria sent 300 soldiers to Bosnia as non combatant participants in the Ifor mission.

President Thomas Klestil aroused controversy last year when he questioned the permanence of neutrality, adding that Austria's defence could not be "built on an illusion". If Austria wanted to be protected by its neighbours, it must be prepared to contribute to the common defence of Europe, he said. A major hurdle to joining the defence pact fell a few months later when Russia declared that it would respect any decision Austria made about its defence, regardless of the terms of the 1955 treaty.

Austria supports the creation of a common foreign and security policy for the EU but, like Ireland, is seeking a mechanism which reconciles this aim with its commitment to neutrality.