“The wrong way” – Babeler’s statements about the EU military irk Tanner

In an interview with the “Standard”, the SPÖ chairman made several statements about military policy that caused a stir. When asked where he saw the role of the federal military, Babler explained, “I think it’s not enough if you always go back to the fact that operations are only possible with a UN mandate.”

Supports military aid to Kiev
He calls for supplies of weapons and tanks to Ukraine at EU level, as every effort must be made “to put the aggressor in his place”. such as and whether Austrian neutrality can be “expanded”.

ÖVP minister Klaudia Tanner is now upset by these statements. “For me as defense minister, it is very irritating when someone advocates an EU army and military operations without a legal basis, ie a UN mandate,” she said in a statement to the “Krone” on Saturday. Abolishing military structures is “in any case the wrong way”.

“Concrete implementation instead of diffuse concepts”
It is much more important to advance the common security and defense policy to strengthen it, Tanner stressed. “It is urgent to move to concrete implementation instead of pursuing vague concepts of an EU army that have not even been worked out or are currently being discussed at EU level,” the defense minister affirmed. She also blamed Babler for saying he was “always in favor” of conscription, even though he campaigned for its abolition in February 2011.

To talk about the way forward for the federal army “with conscription” and about Austria’s role in the context of security and defense policy, the minister invited the new SPÖ leader for a personal meeting. She also wanted to inform him about current developments and negotiations with European partners.