While the Russian attack on Ukraine has rekindled the neutrality debate, the majority of people in Austria and Switzerland want to stick to it. In the latest survey by the Austrian Gallup Institute (in collaboration with Gallup Schweiz AG), 71 percent of respondents say it is better for their country’s security to remain neutral. About half, on the other hand, are in favor of a higher defense budget.
In both countries, the concept of neutrality is most popular among the over-50s. “The insistence on neutrality is partly explained by the fact that it is firmly entrenched in the national identities of the two countries and is seen as contributing to a secure and stable Europe,” said Andrea Fronaschütz, broadcast director of the Gallup Institute. Thursday.
Austrians with a stronger preference
86 percent of Austrians and 88 percent of Swiss believe that neutrality is part of the national identity, for 73 and 76 percent respectively, it contributes to security and stability in Europe. In Switzerland, the role of neutrality in maintaining world peace is seen slightly more often than in Austria (64 percent in Switzerland and 58 percent in Austria).
76 percent for a clear stand against aggression
The concept of neutrality encompasses a range of non-military activities among both the Austrian and Swiss populations. For three quarters of each, neutrality is compatible with participation in unarmed peacekeeping missions. 76 percent of the population in Austria and 67 percent in Switzerland believe that a neutral country can take a firm stance against aggression in international conflicts.
By contrast, participation in armed peacekeeping missions is less consistent with neutrality for the populations of both countries (47 percent in Austria and 50 percent in Switzerland). The supply of weapons to war zones is considered incompatible with neutrality in both countries (78 percent in Austria and 69 percent in Switzerland).
Austria a military lightweight
Austrians and Swiss also agree that as a neutral state you should have an active peace policy and act as a mediator in international conflicts (78 percent each). There is a clear difference in the conception of the own army. Austria is a military lightweight from the point of view of its own people.
The statement that one must be able to defend neutrality militarily against attacks from outside is agreed by 69 percent of the Austrian population and 73 percent of the Swiss population. 78 percent of Austrians and 52 percent of Swiss believe that their country is not sufficiently armed against military attacks from abroad. In Austria 49 percent and in Switzerland 38 percent of the population advocate an increase in defense spending.
Ask for more budget ‘only conclusive’
“Both countries are clearly committed to ‘armed’ neutrality. The reality, however, does not live up to this claim – the current defense capability of its own country gets a bad report, especially in Austria. It is therefore only logical that the Austrians are more in favor of a higher military budget than the Swiss,” says Fronaschütz.
Source: Krone
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