The Austrian governing coalition has agreed on a new model to extend military service, Yannick Shetty, leader of the New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS), announced on Tuesday.
According to Anadolu, under the proposed reform, the current six-month basic training will be immediately followed by one month of active drills. Conscripts will then complete the remaining two months of reserve training at a later date.
Currently, military service in Austria is limited strictly to six months of basic training.
To pass the reform, the coalition requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, meaning it must secure votes from the opposition.
The largest opposition party, the far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), is calling for an even longer extension of both military and civilian service. The Austrian Greens, on the other hand, remain opposed to the planned changes.
If you missed it – Hungarian Gripen crash: Swedish Saab offers support as investigation begins
Not just Austria
Austria is not the only country in Europe making changes to its conscription system in response to the war in Ukraine and perceived security threats from Russia.
Latvia reinstated mandatory military service in 2024 after a nearly two-decade hiatus. Croatia, following a 17-year hiatus, reintroduced mandatory two-month basic training for men starting in January 2026.
Denmark implemented a comprehensive reform starting in 2026. Military service will be drastically extended from four to eleven months.
Similarly, in Germany, which suspended a draft in 2011, a new model has emerged.
Under the new Military Service Act passed under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, conscription was not fully reinstated, but it was comprehensively reformed.
Starting in 2026, all 18-year-old men will be required to complete a digital questionnaire on physical fitness and military readiness.
Based on the responses, candidates will be invited to a physical examination in, with the goal of recruiting approximately 20,000 volunteers each year.
Hungary has no mandatory military service in peacetime
Unlike Austria, Hungary does not have mandatory military service in peacetime. Conscription was suspended in November 2004, when the last conscripts left the Hungarian Defence Forces, and the country switched to a professional, voluntary military system. Today, Hungarians can join the armed forces voluntarily as professional, contract or reserve personnel.
Hungary’s legal framework nevertheless retains the possibility of compulsory military service under exceptional circumstances. Under Hungarian law, citizens’ preparation for national defence is based on voluntary participation in peacetime, while military obligations may be activated under the special legal order applicable in wartime.
What’s next? Hungarian Gripens alerted as man steals aircraft and flies toward Paks nuclear plant
