BERLIN — The election of a far-right government in Austria puts into question the country’s continued membership in the European Sky Shield Initiative, a joint procurement scheme for missile defense equipment.
In a radio interview, Acting Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner of the conservative party indicated that Vienna’s participation in the German-led scheme could fall by the wayside in the formation of a new government. Her party hopes to form a coalition with the far-right “Freedom Party” (FPÖ) which came first in elections in October.
The far-right has long criticized the project, calling it a back door into NATO and claiming it isn’t compatible with Austria’s constitutionally enshrined neutrality. Legal experts dispute this claim.
Austria declared its intention to join Sky Shield together with its western neighbor Switzerland – itself famously neutral – in July of 2023.
Tanner had previously called the project the “spearhead of neutrality” and was the minister of defense under whom the deal was concluded in the first place.
In the past, she had called it “indispensable” and emphasized: “We are doing this for our security and for the security of our children and grandchildren.” Along with her party’s 180-degree turn when it comes to being in a coalition with the Euro-skeptic and Russia-friendly far-right – a prospect categorically ruled out until a few weeks ago – this tune has now changed, too.
If Austria does decide to leave, it would be free to do so: There is no legally binding agreement for membership in ESSI, only a political memorandum of understanding. However, Austria would be the first country to leave ESSI, while the number of members has otherwise grown from a founding 15 to now 21, stretching like a belt across Europe from Norway to Turkey.
That’s not to say it would be without consequences. One of the key selling points of Sky Shield is the aspect of joint procurement, allowing governments to coordinate their orders for equipment and so receive lower per-item price tags. Even after leaving the initiative, Austria would likely still need to procure much of the same gear, with Austrian media estimating it might cost the taxpayer an extra €100 million ($103 million). Additionally, ESSI lays the groundwork for shared maintenance and training, further reducing costs.
Outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz launched the European Sky Shield Initiative in August of 2022 as a consequence of lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began a few months earlier in February. It seeks to coordinate procurement but also foster interoperability between European countries’ air defense systems to be able to protect against ballistic missiles, drones, cruise missiles and other airborne threats such as the ones used against Ukraine.
The scheme has enjoyed considerable regional buy-in, including from the Nordic Countries, the Baltics, much of Central Europe, the UK and the eastern Balkans, although noteworthy holdouts include France and Italy, who criticize the project for relying too heavily on foreign-made systems.
Dropping the German-led European Sky Shield Initiative would appease the far-right FPÖ in Austria’s new government.
BERLIN — The election of a far-right government in Austria puts into question the country’s continued membership in the European Sky Shield Initiative, a joint procurement scheme for missile defense equipment.
In a radio interview, Acting Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner of the conservative party indicated that Vienna’s participation in the German-led scheme could fall by the wayside in the formation of a new government. Her party hopes to form a coalition with the far-right “Freedom Party” (FPÖ) which came first in elections in October.
The far-right has long criticized the project, calling it a back door into NATO and claiming it isn’t compatible with Austria’s constitutionally enshrined neutrality. Legal experts dispute this claim.
Austria declared its intention to join Sky Shield together with its western neighbor Switzerland – itself famously neutral – in July of 2023.
Tanner had previously called the project the “spearhead of neutrality” and was the minister of defense under whom the deal was concluded in the first place.
In the past, she had called it “indispensable” and emphasized: “We are doing this for our security and for the security of our children and grandchildren.” Along with her party’s 180-degree turn when it comes to being in a coalition with the Euro-skeptic and Russia-friendly far-right – a prospect categorically ruled out until a few weeks ago – this tune has now changed, too.
If Austria does decide to leave, it would be free to do so: There is no legally binding agreement for membership in ESSI, only a political memorandum of understanding. However, Austria would be the first country to leave ESSI, while the number of members has otherwise grown from a founding 15 to now 21, stretching like a belt across Europe from Norway to Turkey.
That’s not to say it would be without consequences. One of the key selling points of Sky Shield is the aspect of joint procurement, allowing governments to coordinate their orders for equipment and so receive lower per-item price tags. Even after leaving the initiative, Austria would likely still need to procure much of the same gear, with Austrian media estimating it might cost the taxpayer an extra €100 million ($103 million). Additionally, ESSI lays the groundwork for shared maintenance and training, further reducing costs.
Outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz launched the European Sky Shield Initiative in August of 2022 as a consequence of lessons learned from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began a few months earlier in February. It seeks to coordinate procurement but also foster interoperability between European countries’ air defense systems to be able to protect against ballistic missiles, drones, cruise missiles and other airborne threats such as the ones used against Ukraine.
The scheme has enjoyed considerable regional buy-in, including from the Nordic Countries, the Baltics, much of Central Europe, the UK and the eastern Balkans, although noteworthy holdouts include France and Italy, who criticize the project for relying too heavily on foreign-made systems.
About Linus Höller
Linus Höller is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. He covers international security and military developments across the continent. Linus holds a degree in journalism, political science and international studies, and is currently pursuing a master’s in nonproliferation and terrorism studies.