After a first advance for the official elimination of neutrality was dropped relatively quickly about two years ago, the complete hollowing out neutrality has been practiced in rapid steps since then. In words, politicians of various strings defend neutrality, while in deeds they rarely pay attention. The restoration of neutrality becomes the demand for those who face these developments - and that is many!
A survey was published in February of this year, according to the 51 percent of the following: "Austria's neutrality is hollowed out" (1). Around 80 percent are for maintaining neutrality. This means that the absolute majority of the population is against the abolition of neutrality. The adherence to the rulers practiced in words therefore plays the role of fraud and the soothing of the population. Because while reigning politicians don't want to burn their fingers, alumni are not so squeamish. The former Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik serves the platform attack on neutrality: "Our favorite garment is the camouflage cap, which is called neutrality in this country" (2). Former Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel (ÖVP) says: "Neutrality does not offer any protection." (3) A circle (former) SPÖ diplomat that has been advising the SP boss Babler since the beginning (the so-called "initiative of democratic foreign policy") says: "The neutrality is often exaggerated in the SPÖ" and speaks against "Nostalgic neutralism" (4). The ORF, currently a whipping of a new start of the debate about NATO accession, propagates the platform "ours Security.org". So far, this spread two "open letters" "The Federal President, the Federal Government, the National Council and the population of Austria" in which a debate about the abolition of neutrality is required. In addition to numerous entrepreneurs and diplomats, the supporters of this initiative also include, for example, Othmar Karas (ÖVP), Johannes Kopf (board member AMS) and various well -known faces of the SPÖ, such as Rudolf Fußi and Robert Misik. All of these examples make it clear that the formal adherence to neutrality, while at the same time, is already part of their abolition. Defense Minister Tanner formulated: "(...) The neutrality is not called a military alliance for the foreseeable future to join " (5). Various "interpretations" for neutrality are also on the agenda: While Tanner replaces the word "everlasting" with "for the foreseeable future", others particularly emphasize the purely "military" character of neutrality. Of course, this is of course also a pointed freezing to enforce political interests.
In the current location, it can not only be about maintaining neutrality as a law, but also the actual compliance, i.e. the restoration of neutrality. All of the bourgeois parties are not an alternative, since they only represent different shades of a hollowing out neutrality. The task of fighting and restoring neutrality lies on the shoulders of the masses, the population. Not the ballot papers in an election, but only the active merger and struggle will bring success. The defense of neutrality today means to enforce the interests of people against those of the rulers.
(1) kurier.at
(2) Signature, orf.at
(3) ebd.
(4) derstandard.at
(5) Signature, orf.at