Austria Extends Military Service by Three Months in Compromise Reform

Austria's three-party coalition government has agreed to extend basic military service from six to nine months, adding three months of reserve training, in a reform announced on July 28, 2026. The compromise, presented by Chancellor Christian Stocker, Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler, and Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, falls short of the expert commission's recommended '8+2' model (eight months basic service plus two months militia training). Civilian service remains at nine months with a possible voluntary two-month extension. Monthly pay for conscripts will rise from approximately 600 to 1,000 euros, with additional vacation days. The government expects annual costs in the 'low three-digit million range.' The reform requires a two-thirds parliamentary majority and is set to take effect in early 2027. Opposition parties, including the Greens and far-right FPÖ, criticized the compromise as insufficient or poorly conceived. Austria moves against the European trend of professional armies, with only about a third of EU states maintaining conscription.