Austria's Resistance To Eu Supranational Influence

Austria's relationship with the EU is a complex one. On the one hand, the country has been a member of the EU since 1995, and has held the Presidency of the Council of the EU three times since then. Austria has also been an active participant in UN and OSCE missions, and has contributed to international efforts to pursue a climate-sensitive energy policy.

On the other hand, Austria has a history of neutrality, having declared itself permanently neutral in 1955, and has been described as the neutral core of Europe. The country has also been reluctant to cede full sovereignty to the EU, with some Austrians, particularly those with nationalist tendencies, resenting the idea of following internationally agreed rules and charging that doing so would amount to surrendering their sovereignty.

In recent years, Austria has found itself in a difficult position regarding its relationship with the EU, particularly in light of the organisation's rule of law mechanisms and the country's close economic ties with Hungary, which has come under fire for democratic backsliding. While Austria has generally supported the use of rule of law mechanisms to withhold funds from member states failing to uphold democratic principles, it has also sought to maintain good relations with its neighbours, recognising the importance of open dialogue and neighbourly relations to its strategic positioning.

Austria's relationship with Hungary

Austria and Hungary have a long shared history, with the ruling dynasty of Austria, the Habsburgs, inheriting the Hungarian throne in the 16th century. Both countries were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1867 to 1918. They established diplomatic relations in 1921, after their separation.

Both countries are members of the European Union and share a 366-kilometre border, which can be crossed anywhere without control due to the Schengen Agreement. Austrian entrepreneurs have set up or bought banks, factories, and shops in Hungary, and Austrian farmers have bought or leased Hungarian farmland.

In 1989, Hungary decided to tear down the Iron Curtain at the border with Austria, and the two countries staged a "tear-down action" together, cutting through barbed wire with pliers in front of news photographers and reporters from around the world. The photographs prompted many East Germans vacationing in Hungary to move to West Germany via Hungary and Austria immediately.

Austria is the third-largest investor in neighbouring Hungary, which in 2019 was the most important market for Austrian exports across central and eastern Europe. However, Austria has been concerned about democratic principles in Hungary, particularly when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban introduced an emergency law that gave him extensive powers during the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. Austria did not join other EU member states in issuing a joint statement on the matter, instead stating that it preferred to seek a constructive dialogue.

Austria's relationship with the Czech Republic

Austria and the Czech Republic have a long shared history. They were united under the rule of Ottokar II of Bohemia from 1253 to 1276 and later joined with Hungary to form a major European power under the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 to 1918. During this period, the Czechs demanded to be ruled by a government in Prague, their kingdom's capital, rather than Vienna. This was not fulfilled until the end of the empire in 1918.

After World War I, the Czech lands gained independence in the form of a union with Slovakia, while Austria became a republic. Both countries established diplomatic relations in 1920. During the interwar period, Austrian Social Democrats found refuge in Czechoslovakia when a dictatorship was established in Austria. In 1938, Austria was annexed by Germany, and many Germans in the Czech lands welcomed this. This led to nearly all Germans being expelled from Czechoslovakia in 1945 and 1947.

In 1948, the Iron Curtain descended between Czechoslovakia and Austria, closing down many roads and railways connecting the two countries. In 1968, at the end of the Prague Spring, many Czechs fled to Austria. In the 1980s, Austrian ecologists protested against the nuclear power plant at Temelin, close to the Czech border. In 2000, the two governments agreed on certain nuclear safety standards and cross-border information protocols.

Austria and the Czech Republic have embassies in each other's capitals. Both countries are members of the European Union, having joined in 1995 and 2004, respectively. However, while the Czech Republic is a member of NATO, Austria is not.

Austria's relationship with Slovakia

Austria and Slovakia share a border that is the second shortest in Europe at 91km long. The border was established in 1993 with the creation of Slovakia, following the partition of Czechoslovakia.

Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Austria has an embassy in Bratislava, and Slovakia has an embassy in Vienna.

The proximity of the two countries' capitals, just 60km apart, has played a significant role in cross-border cooperation, as has the cross-border infrastructure linking them: two railway lines, two motorways, a ferry crossing, and roads. Since Slovakia joined the Schengen Area in 2007, economic cooperation has increased.

Since the opening of borders in 2007, Slovaks have increasingly been buying homes on the Austrian side of the border, several kilometres from Bratislava, where they continue to work. It is estimated that there are 25,000 Slovaks living in Austria.

In terms of economic competitiveness, the border region is the most developed in Slovakia, but this is not the case on the Austrian side. These disparities represent a challenge for cross-border cooperation.

Austria's relationship with Slovenia

Austria and Slovenia have enjoyed close bilateral relations since Slovenia's independence in 1991. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. They also have embassies in each other's capital cities.

Austria was one of the strongest supporters of Slovenia's independence, and it firmly endorsed its path to the European Union. Economic cooperation between the two countries has been expanding since the early 1990s, and regional cooperation is well-developed, especially with the Austrian states of Carinthia and Styria. In 2006, Slovenia, Austria, and Italy entered a joint bid to host the Winter Olympic Games.

Austria's central location and economic dependence on Central and Eastern Europe make its economy vulnerable to cases of corruption and rule of law violations in neighbouring countries. In 2019, Hungary was the most important market for Austrian exports in the region, and Austria was the third-largest investor in Hungary.

Austria has a special historical relationship with Hungary, and it sees itself as a bridge-builder between East and West. It has a strong determination for the EU to use rule of law mechanisms in case of breaches by member states. It believes that if member states fail to uphold the rule of law and other democratic principles, funds should be withheld from them.

Austria's relationship with Croatia

Austria and Croatia have a long historical relationship, having been part of the same union for almost 400 years. From 1527, Croatia was part of the Habsburg monarchy, followed by the Austrian Empire from 1804 to 1867, and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918.

Croatia has an embassy in Vienna, and honorary consulates in Graz, Linz, St. Pölten, and Salzburg. Austria has an embassy in Zagreb, a general consulate in Rijeka, and a consulate in Split. There are around 120,000 Croats living in Austria, and many famous Croats have acquired higher education at the Universities of Vienna and Graz.

Austria is the largest foreign investor in Croatia, with more than 7 billion euros invested from 1993 to 2014. There are more than 700 Austrian companies in Croatia, and cooperation between the two countries is most common in the metal, electrical, wood processing, textile, and footwear industries.

Austria has given full support to Croatia's membership of the European Union, and both countries are members of the Council of Europe. They are also members of The Alps-Adriatic Working Group, which aims to strengthen Central European cultural identity and participation in European cooperation and integration.

The Austrian imperial family and nobility began visiting the Croatian coast in the 1880s, with Opatija becoming a fashionable destination. Many luxury hotels and villas were built, and Austrians remain among the most frequent visitors to the Croatian coast.

In recent years, the Austrian government has pushed for stronger rule of law mechanisms in the EU, particularly regarding the allocation of funds to member states. This is partly driven by Austria's central location and economic dependence on Central and Eastern European countries, which makes its economy vulnerable to cases of corruption and rule of law violations in the region.

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