Security

Our reporting partners - Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) (Security Track), Bruegel - Improving economic policy (Finance & Economy Track), Europe Jacques Delors (Democracy Track) and KONTEXT Institut für Klimafragen (Climate Track) - followed the discussions closely to capture the key insights. Their observations serve as a basis for our conversations at the European Forum Alpbach 2025.

For the security track the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) is developing a comprehensive three-part publication series that distils key insights from the European Forum Alpbach 2024. This series reflects on the Security track themes of the EFA24 under the annual theme “Moment of Truth”. The first report titled “Moment of Truth for Austria” has recently been released. Subsequent publications are scheduled for late November and mid-December.

The first report delves into Austria’s evolving role within an increasingly complex European security landscape, analysing how the country is struggling to reconcile its historic commitment to neutrality with its expanding responsibilities within the EU security framework. The publication comprehensively explores Austria’s participation in initiatives, such as the Three Seas Initiative, and the drive for European strategic autonomy, particularly in critical areas, such as energy security, defence, and supply chain resilience.

Get a glimpse of their key insights:

Austria finds itself at a critical juncture. In doing so, it occupies a strategically unique position given the urgent need for a common European response to existential challenges in an increasingly fragmented global order.

This pivotal moment demands Austria carefully recalibrating its national interests, aligning them more closely with broader European objectives. However, the nation’s security landscape is characterised by a nuanced balancing act: simultaneously maintaining its traditional policy of neutrality while demonstrating a robust commitment to European solidarity and strategically mitigating dependencies within contested global networks of trade, energy and security.

A critical imperative emerges: Austria must initiate and engage in potentially uncomfortable yet fundamentally essential debates about maintaining its long-standing neutrality with its deep roots in a united European framework.

For the country, strategic autonomy is not merely a concept but a pragmatic approach. It represents a sophisticated pathway designed to ensure national security and contribute to Europe’s collective resilience. Now it’s time for Austria to reevaluate its role within the region to affirm its relevance and contribution in an increasingly uncertain world, demonstrating that neutrality today requires an active, strategic commitment to a secure and cohesive Europe.

Stay posted on the remaining two parts of the publication series on our EFA channels or with AIES.

Reference: Christoph Schwarz: AIES-Alpbach Security Track Report No.1: Moment of Truth for Austria. AIES Comment 2024/6

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