The federal government has increased the budget for the army for 2023 by about 680 million euros. Burgenland’s military command believes that joy, but not euphoria, is in order. Commander Gernot Gasser compared the army on Thursday to a coma patient in intensive care.
“Meanwhile, the patient has woken up and there is therapy, but we are still in intensive care and in the hospital,” Gasser said at a news conference. The military has been underfunded for 32 years and doesn’t even have the resources to maintain the status quo. Despite the extra money, it will take some time before the backlog is made up.
Five billion extra by 2026
“We will not order assault rifles with rhinestones and gold fittings now. We are still a long way from that.” Still, the military commander objected that the current situation looks better than three years ago. With an increase of some five billion euros in 2026, the army can be modernized and better able to carry out its main task, defensive operations.
The war in Ukraine has shown that “freedom, peace and security in Europe cannot be taken for granted,” Gasser said. Ultimately, this also led to a reconsideration of the role of the federal army in Austria.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
