On October 26, the Austrian republic celebrated a milestone anniversary. Neutrality turned 70. What's happening with Austria's neutrality today? Is it still relevant? Is Austria moving to NATO? At the same time, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) wants a stricter interpretation and is pushing for members of parliament to be explicitly sworn in to neutrality in the future.

In the article “What is left of neutrality”, the authors Jürgen Streihammer and Daniel Bischof write that neutrality still resonates as a myth, but in practice, it's reaching its limits. Experts are calling for a new debate: What is left of neutrality

The reseach “The Origin and Historical Change of Austria's Neutrality” by Univ. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Mueller from the Institute for East European History, University of Vienna gives a deep reflection on the historical origin, experience and analyses of the current situation on the Austian neutrality today. 

In its almost 70 years of existence, the interpretation of Austria's neutrality has been subject to constant change. Based on current surveys, this article examines the roots of Austrian neutrality and key developmental phases of its interpretation in the international context of East-West relations. Particular attention is paid to the role of the Soviet Union as an incubator of the Austrian declaration of neutrality and a formative factor in its interpretation. In addition to internal Austrian tendencies dating back to the fall of the Habsburg Monarchy and reinvigorated by the East-West occupation of Austria after 1945, the Soviet demand for a declaration of neutrality as the price for agreeing to withdraw from Austria in 1955 represented the most important root of this movement. Initially conceived as a mere renunciation of alliances and bases, the interpretation of neutrality was subject to a continual expansion of the understanding of the duties and responsibilities of permanently neutral states in peacetime during the decades of the Cold War under the influence of intensive Soviet communication and Austrian legitimization efforts. The end of the Cold War ushered in a countermovement.

Today, the assessment is divided between experts who view neutrality as an outdated security obstacle and the broad majority of the population, who consider this status worthy of protection. The continued existence of neutrality can therefore be explained by its enormous popularity among the population and support from groups on both sides of the political spectrum.
The full version is here:  “The Origin and Historical Change of Austria's Neutrality”