Only four EU countries are left out of NATO – we found out what posts are left in the EU’s common defense

If Finland’s and Sweden’s applications for membership of NATO are approved, only four EU countries will be excluded from the union: Ireland, Austria, Cyprus and Malta. The largest of these – Austria – may soon launch its own security policy debate, which will also weigh in on the country’s relationship with NATO.

– At the latest, the decision of Finland, and especially Sweden, to aspire to become a member of NATO has also made Austrians think about their country’s security policy position, says an assistant professor of political history Johanna Rainio-Niemi From the University of Helsinki.

In his research, he is familiar with neutrality and non-alignment in post-World War II Europe.

The roots of Austrian neutrality were built during the world wars. The journey from the gigantic Austro-Hungarian Empire to the present, a European state with a slightly larger population than Finland, has left its mark. The country was first annexed to Nazi Germany and after World War II it was divided into four occupation sectors, which were not dismantled until 1955.

Especially since the Second World War, the slogan “Nie wieder Krieg” (Never Again War) has been repeated in Austria. The record of the country’s neutrality is enshrined in the country’s current constitution.

– In a way, the Austrian state had to re-establish during the Cold War. Formally, the Austrians themselves chose neutrality and enshrined it in their constitutions. The entry can be changed, but it has been considered to require a five-sixths majority in Parliament, Rainio-Niemi explains.

There has not been enough political pressure to change the entry, and according to Rainio-Niemi, the issue has not even been discussed in recent years. Now, however, signs of change are visible.

According to Rainio-Niemi, NATO’s intentions in Sweden and Finland have, of course, also been in the headlines in Austria, and in that order.

– In the case of Austria, I believe that Sweden’s accession in particular is of great importance, because historically the Swedish model of neutrality has had a resonance in Austria.

Like Sweden, Austria does not have a common border with Russia, as does Finland, which changes the focus of the foreign and security policy debate.

– In Finland, the NATO debate has taken place precisely from the perspective of the country’s own security, but in Austria the starting point of the debate would be precisely the responsibility and duty from the perspective of wider regional security, Assistant Professor Rainio-Niemi estimates.

– There is no immediate threat to our own security policy in Austria, which is surrounded by NATO countries, he continues.

Will efforts to move towards a common EU defense policy become unnecessary if almost all its members are members of NATO? According to the researcher, do not stay.

– It has been a long time that NATO is at the heart of European defense. The accession of Finland and Sweden would only strengthen this situation, he says Tuomas Iso-Markku About the Foreign Policy Institute.

According to him, European defense should be seen as a whole with several actors. The EU’s role has traditionally focused on crisis management, with NATO’s core mission being to build and maintain military deterrence and defense, especially against Russia.

In recent years, however, the EU has also introduced new instruments, such as permanent structured cooperation and the European Defense Fund, which enable it to support, for example, defense research and the procurement of defense equipment, Iso-Markku says.

– Such co-operation would also benefit NATO as it progresses.

And what is the position of non-NATO EU countries in a situation where defense is needed?

– Sure EU countries would be ready to support up to some limit. However, it must be borne in mind that the EU’s mutual assistance clause is not as credible or binding as NATO’s Fifth Article. In other words, it does not guarantee that the member states will support each other in practice, Iso-Markku says.

The possible membership of Finland and Sweden in NATO does not in itself change the position of Austria or other countries outside the military alliance in relation to NATO or the common defense of the EU.

In Austria, however, the debate on the appropriateness of a policy of neutrality is now waking up, according to Rainio-Niemi. According to him, Austrian neutrality is partly due to the fact that there are others in the same boat. Switzerland is now left behind, but especially in the EU framework, the club of Sweden and Finland has been central.

– If it starts to seem that Austrians are left alone with their policies, it may be that the assessment turns to the view that it is safer to move in the same company as others.

According to Rainio-Niemi, even if there is never a real military threat to Austria, the country may end up estimating that a different line from other EU countries could expose it to cyber attacks or pressure, for example.

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