Austria’s lax espionage laws are a growing problem for the republic, reports the Financial Times. After Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, Vienna has once again become the espionage capital of Europe – and there seems to be no end to the crisis of confidence.
“We have pointed out this abuse for a long time,” NEOS MP Stephanie Krisper told the newspaper. The current situation is causing resentment on an international level. According to the report, Austrian diplomats are increasingly being haircut. Especially at meetings where information is exchanged.
Austria is known to have traditionally turned a blind eye to covert intelligence activities on domestic soil – as long as the target of the operations is not the Austrian government. But the situation seems to be getting out of hand.
European countries have expelled hundreds of Putin’s spies, often disguised as diplomats, since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. By comparison, Austria has so far thrown only four out of the country. It’s been quiet here for months. More than 180 Russian diplomats are still accredited to Vienna, according to a senior Western intelligence official. Many more spies are said to be in the country illegally due to lax police control and oversight.
Diplomats enjoy Austria
“It really is the Wild West,” a Western diplomat told the Financial Times, who himself was surprised at what foreign intelligence services “can afford” in Austria. He added, “It’s almost funny how much you can get out of here with.”
Attempts by the opposition to tighten the current laws have so far been thwarted by the Turquoise-Green governing coalition. The case has now been postponed until after the summer recess. The government said it needed more time for intersectoral consultations before amending the law, the Financial Times reported.
According to official information from the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN), embassies, clubs, cultural centers, news agencies, airlines and other business locations are the main infiltrated areas in the republic. One reason for this is the legal situation, which “makes operating on Austrian territory attractive because of the relatively very low threat of punishment,” according to the recently published report of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The hands of the Republic are bound by law
NEOS Member of Parliament Krisper gives an example of this: When Russia spies on our neighbor Germany or another allied country on its own soil, the hands of the authorities are tied. Why? Because this is not “to the detriment of Austria”, part of the corresponding legal text reads.
As Gustav Gressel, a former Austrian army officer, told the Financial Times, “You can basically recruit sources and exfiltrate information with complete freedom.”
Russia is no longer hiding any activities at all
Russia apparently doesn’t even bother to hide its increased activity from the public. The roofs of all Russian diplomatic buildings and installations are covered with radars, domes and strange “hideouts” – some of which have only been built in recent months.
One of the “most important functions of the Russian secret service in Vienna appears to be signal-gathering,” to an extent that has made the operation “the most important of the entire network in Europe,” according to Thomas Riegler, an Austrian intelligence official. historian and political scientist the newspaper. “There are powerful satellite dishes on the roofs of almost all Russian diplomatic facilities. There is even one on the roof of the cultural center.”
Austria was ashamed of the world public
At the moment, Austria’s position in Europe is embarrassing, says a Western intelligence official. But the government’s active delay in tightening the law would save Austria from further embarrassment: “If they changed the law, they would have to try to enforce it – and the fact is they probably can’t.”
In addition to Austria, Switzerland is also regarded as a “bulwark” for espionage. According to the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (NDB), about a third of the 220 people working in the Russian missions in Geneva and Bern work for Russian intelligence services. According to the FIS, Putin would also try to buy weapons from Switzerland through “secret channels”.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
