Only 16 % of young Austrians want to fight for their homeland!

Only 16 % of young Austrians want to fight for their homeland!

In a recent survey among young people, there is a worrying trend: only 16 percent of young Austrians are ready to use their weapon in an emergency. This was expressed by the FPÖ Lower Austria constitutional spokesman LAbg. Hubert Keyl on March 30, 2025. This policy of ideological compulsory conscription undermines confidence in military service.

Keyl emphasizes that despite the controversial attitudes towards military duty and defense, there are still young men who are willing to use their lives for the values ​​of duty, courage and connection to home. He calls for a return to the original importance of home defense in order to regain trust in the national security architecture.

The development of compulsory military service in Austria

General conscription has a long history in Austria that goes back to 1866. Male citizens have to undergo a pattern up to the age of 50. The suitable men either perform a six -month military service or a nine -month military replacement service, also known as community service. Women have the opportunity to serve voluntarily in the Armed Forces.

The compulsory military service became another topic after the First World War to strengthen the security Situation in the country. After the Second World War, the general conscription for men was reintroduced in 1955, although the duty was initially very extensive. Over the years there have been several adjustments to the service times, which were finally shortened for six months for basic military service and nine months for community service. These reforms were continued by the Civil Service Act, which came into force in 1975.

Current challenges and trends

The survey results are particularly alarming in the light of the current security policy challenges. Already in 2013, 59.7 percent of those surveyed spoke in favor of maintaining compulsory military service in 2013. In 2023 it was even 65 percent. These figures make it clear that a large part of the population is still behind military service, while the signal effect for young people is no longer the same as before. The sunken proportion of conscripts can be attributed to various social changes, including the introduction of alternative services and the overall changed perception of militarism in civil society.

Hubert Keyl and other political voices are now calling for more attention and commitment to home defense. In view of the changing social values, it can be observed how important it is to strengthen the connection between politics and youth in order to promote a positive attitude towards willingness to defend.

The changes in the history of community service is also the possibility of providing social replacement service abroad or recognizing voluntary services. These options are attractive for many young men today.

If politics does not act and the values ​​of duty and close -ups do not come to the fore, the decline in willingness to fight for home may continue to increase.

For further information on the history of the civil service in Austria, they consult civil service.gv.at as well as the page Wikipedia .

The situation underlines an urgent need to activate the youth and to create a new perspective on conscription before it is too late.