Austria's Foreign Policy since 1945
E-Book, Deutsch, Englisch, 172 Seiten
ISBN: 978-3-7065-5863-1
Verlag: Studien Verlag
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
The authors have written this book based on many years of experience in the diplomatic service. With their analysis they aim to contribute to a better understanding of Austria‘s position in an international context. They do not just direct their gaze into the past but also into the present and future of Austria’s foreign policy. Above all they take into account the fundamental changes that took place at the beginning of the 21st century - changes that have brought totally new challenges for Austria.
Fachgebiete
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Diplomatie
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Außenpolitik
- Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Geschichte
- Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Europäische Länder
Weitere Infos & Material
1. Preliminary Remarks on Austria’s Foreign Policy
The authors would like to precede this short presentation of Austria’s foreign policy after 1945 with some basic considerations. After decades of activity in the diplomatic service we are committed to share our practical experiences and personal views with anyone who is interested in international affairs in general and Austrian foreign policy in particular. The authors see this as their duty to the younger generation and want to help it better understand our country’s position in the world. The following “guiding principles” are not directed at Austria’s past foreign policy but rather are meant for the present and the future. Above all they take into account the fundamental changes at the beginning of the 21st century which forced Austria to face completely new challenges. The authors wish to make it clear that they are not interested in cheap polemics. Rather, it is our intent to describe the realities “sine ira et studio” and draw conclusions that nurture practical understanding. To simplify reading the authors’ central points are kept short and succinct. 1. Domestic and foreign policies are inseparably intertwined.
Apparently, this straightforward conclusion has still not really been grasped by the general public in Austria. Domestic and foreign policies are generally perceived as isolated from each other. Consequently, although every international development has immediate implications for Austria’s politics, economy, and society, its impacts on our everyday life remain underestimated. In times of globalization the boundaries separating domestic and foreign policy have largely disappeared. The events “out there” affect all of us “in here”. Goethe could comfortably lean back against his window “while, far away in Turkey, the peoples were waging war”. Today, we are directly affected by events in the parts of the Middle East (Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Israel, Palestine) that Goethe found so remote. Who can deny that developments there and for that matter in any other region directly touch upon our lives? There are no longer any issues of foreign policy that we can observe from a distance. The massive impact of international politics on Austria’s domestic affairs can be demonstrated by a long list of cases (such as the recent EU sanctions against Russia or the stream of refugees from crisis zones). On the other hand Austria’s domestic developments also influence its foreign policy and Austria is being watched closely by the outside world for example with respect to our economic policies, our treatment of asylum seekers, or anti-Semitic incidents. These policies and events often have direct consequences for our foreign policy. 2. The Foreign Service is not the only player in international affairs.
The erroneous assumption that foreign policy lies only in the hands of diplomats and experts is based on an understanding of foreign politics that has been obsolete since at least World War I. Before the emergence of modern democratic states in the 20th century, the conduct of external affairs as well as commanding the armed forces were privileges enjoyed by the sovereign ruler who appointed diplomats to represent him abroad and generals to wage wars on his behalf. In the “Austro-Hungarian Monarchy” this power was exercised by the Emperor. A glance at the Austrian Federal Constitution reveals that the concept of monarchist state doctrine, albeit modified, lives on in the Republic of Austria. According to the Constitution, the federal president is the supreme commander of the Austrian Armed Forces and is responsible for representing the Republic abroad. In reality, the state’s monopoly on conducting foreign policy has long ceased to exist in the modern world. This is also the case for Austria: many players have joined the federal president and the foreign minister – and his or her domestic and foreign staff – who all make a specific contribution to Austria’s position in the world, and therefore to Austria’s foreign policy in the widest sense. The state representatives and ministers (the federal chancellor, the federal ministers and their bureaucratic bodies) are active abroad without the formal duty to coordinate their actions. The National Security Council meets under the chairmanship of the federal chancellor, and the foreign minister leads the Foreign Affairs Council. The Austrian Parliament has significant responsibilities in foreign affairs that have been expanded in recent years. The foreign minister answers to the Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament. In addition, there are numerous parastatal institutions, above all the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (Wirtschaftskammer Österreich – WKÖ) that has become an important player in foreign policy drawing on its worldwide network of foreign trade agencies (Foreign Trade Centers). Other interest groups such as the Federation of Austrian Industry, the Austrian Federation of Trade Unions, and the Chamber of Labor live up to Austria’s reputation as a country organized through “federations”, “chambers” and “associations”. All of them have offices in Brussels at the EU-institutions. The Austrian mission at the EU is already bursting at the seams because in addition to the official state representatives, it can barely harbor the countless offices put up by individual interest groups. Non-governmental organizations (e. g. Amnesty International Austria, Greenpeace, etc.) are also effective in specific foreign policy issues. 3. Foreign policy is not only a matter for central government.
In traditional thinking the responsibility for foreign policy and for concluding international agreements rests with central government. For a long time it was assumed in Austria that developing relationships with foreign states and concluding international agreements fell exclusively into the federal government’s area of competence. The evolution of international relations has largely made this concept obsolete. Besides the federal government the Austrian provinces and municipalities play an important role in regional cross-border cooperation, not to mention the non-governmental players who also act abroad on Austria’s behalf. The “Tyrol – South Tyrol – Trentino Euroregion” founded in 1998, and the Alps-Adria Working Group are just two examples of new forms of cross-border cooperation between regional authorities. Incidentally, the EU expressly recognized the growing European significance of regional foreign policy by creating the “European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation” (EGTC). The EGTC connects countries and regions that are in a position to raise their cooperation to an institutional level. Even the actions of individuals influence foreign policy directly: Austrian tourists or the victims of kidnapping who are freed through political negotiations with countries or organizations, but also Austrians participating in demonstrations abroad (e. g. against nuclear power plants close to their borders). 4. Austria’s Membership in the EU has transformed her concept of state sovereignty.
Accession to the EU changed the prevailing premise under which Austria was free to shape her foreign policy as a sovereign state. Membership in the EU has brought about a paradigm shift in Austria: as a member of the EU Austria’s relationship to the Union no longer presents itself as an “external matter” in the classical sense, since Austria is an integral part of this union of states with many supranational aspects. This means that the member states have ceded a substantial amount of their sovereign authority to the European Union. The degree to which the EU has affected all areas of life in Austria is revealed by the single fact that two-thirds of all legal provisions currently applicable in Austria were created by the EU institutions in Brussels. 5. The Common Foreign and Security Policy opened up new perspectives for Austrian foreign policy.
When she joined the EU Austria formally declared she was ready and able to participate effectively in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the EU and to fulfill her obligations under it. In plain language this means that Austria’s foreign policy must follow the EU’s rules and voting mechanisms. This greatly limited Austria’s room for maneuver in terms of an independent foreign policy. On the other hand Austria’s full participation in the CFSP offers new and interesting opportunities in shaping and implementing European foreign policy along with her EU partners. 6. The concept of Austrian neutrality was weakened through EU membership.
The EU legal provisions relating to the CFSP have had a particularly strong impact on the concept of Austrian neutrality. By adjusting the Austrian legal system to the treaties of the EU all legal obstacles to the obligations arising out of the CFSP were removed. As a logical consequence Austrian neutrality was reduced to a minimum when it joined the EU. 7. Austrian foreign policy is also security policy.
The intertwining of foreign and security policies is obvious on a national as well as on the EU level. It’s no coincidence that both policies are dealt with together in the CFSP. Whereas national security and defense were considered as belonging to the core responsibilities of a sovereign state before Austria’s accession to the EU, her membership has brought a fundamental change. Even allowing for the fact that the...
