German Media: Austria's Defense Training "Starts from Schools"

Reference News Network reported on May 17 According to the German newspaper "Welt" website on May 14, the capital of Austria, Vienna, is conducting specialized training on defense policy for teachers' organizations. The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted for more than four years, bringing many changes to the neutral country of Austria. Public attention to national defense has increased. The neutral status, which has been regarded as "sacred and inviolable" since 1955, is now also sparking intense debate.

The report states that the goal of this training is: each school in Vienna should have at least one teacher responsible for imparting the latest knowledge about defense and security policy, civil defense, and the threats facing democracy to students and colleagues.

Federal states such as Salzburg and Styria have also recently launched similar programs. Austrian Defense Minister Claudia Tanner stated: "Especially in the current context of increasingly severe security policy challenges, it is essential to impart solid knowledge about the nation, democracy, and defense to young people."

The training aims to equip teachers with the latest knowledge, including civil defense, prevention of extremism, the pros and cons of neutrality policy, and the responsibilities of the Austrian Federal Army. Given the new threats facing Europe, the training will also cover the fundamentals of modern defense policy.

In addition to teachers, Austria has arranged for about 750 so-called "publicity officers" from the Federal Army to enter schools and hold lectures. Tanner said: "The Federal Army has brought security policy into the classroom." However, due to limited time, the opportunities for publicity officers to visit schools are rare, while teachers can always be present as points of contact.

The Austrian government also believes that the public's awareness of defending freedom and democracy needs to be strengthened. A survey by the country's Ministry of Defense shows that among eligible men aged 17 to 51, only 43% are willing to take up arms to defend their homeland; among them, the willingness is strongest among men aged 40 to 49 in rural areas.

In addition, the debate over Austria's neutral status is intensifying, with discussions including: Can Austria continue to maintain its neutrality? Would joining the world's largest defense alliance—NATO—make Austria safer than maintaining its neutral status?

Leopold Schmerl, a security expert at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, wrote in the Austrian newspaper "Standard" months ago: "Being an EU member but not a NATO member makes us an ideal target for Russian provocation."

Colonel Markus Reisner from the Austrian Ministry of Defense also refuted the common view in Austria that neutral countries are necessarily safer, stating, "Due to the lack of allies like NATO, they may actually be particularly vulnerable." (Translation/ Zhong Sirui)