On military service reform

Niessl: “The government has been dithering since January”

“Respected experts have developed a very good model,” says Niessl.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA Hans Klaus Techt, Patrick Huber)

Hofburg candidate Hans Niessl criticizes Austria’s federal government for “dithering” on military service reform—and, as a potential future commander-in-chief of the Austrian Armed Forces, wants to see the reform implemented by then.

Take note! Hans Niessl, Austria’s first and so far only candidate for the 2028 presidential election, has spoken out on the topic of military service reform. Niessl, who served as governor of Burgenland for 19 years, not only wants to become the next commander-in-chief of the army as head of state, but also expects that compulsory military service will have been reformed by the time he moves into the Hofburg.

Criticism of His Own Party
Once again far more clear-cut than his own party, the SPÖ—which, by its own admission, is pursuing a “middle-of-the-road plan” on the issue—he speaks out in the “Krone” in favor of the “Austria Plus” model recommended by the specially appointed Military Service Commission: eight months of basic military service and two months of mandatory reserve training. “This model has my full support. The federal government has been dithering since January. That’s not a proud moment for the ÖVP, NEOS, or even my own party, the SPÖ!” said Niessl. A swift decision is needed, he added, not more endless “bargaining like at a bazaar.”

The SPÖ politician, who plans to run for the SPÖ or as an independent for the Hofburg, also believes that the current head of state, Alexander Van der Bellen, has a duty to act. According to Niessl, he “should have applied pressure long ago.”