Sweden as a role model?

This is what Austria would face if it joined NATO

Sweden's soldiers now serve under the NATO flag.(Bild: AFP)

Sweden recently became the 32nd country to join the NATO military alliance. So far, Austria has not made any efforts to join, mainly due to its neutrality. However, due to the uncertain global political situation, the population is now and again expressing a desire to join. Krone+ spoke to a representative of the national defense department to find out under what conditions accession would be conceivable, what costs would be involved and how you might be personally affected.

In 1949, eleven countries, including the USA, Canada, Great Britain and France, founded NATO to protect themselves from the Soviet Union. 74 years later, the fear of the eastern giant is greater than ever before. 21 other countries have joined the military alliance since it was founded. Many for the same reason: Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This states that an armed attack on a member state is to be regarded as an attack on NATO as a whole. The other members are then obliged to support and defend the attacked country.