Austria wants to strengthen law against espionage and aggravate sentences up to ten years

O The Austrian Government wants to strengthen the legislation against espionage, extending the crimes covered and aggravating the sentences up to ten years in prison, today the Foreign and Interior Ministers announced.

The proposed law, which will be presented to Parliament, provides for up to five years in prison for espionage activities against the European Union (EU) or international organisations.

“In the future, it will not only be about espionage against Austria, but also against international organisations or the European Union,” Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger said at a time when hybrid threats have increased.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner warned of increased acts of sabotage, misinformation and attempts to interfere in European elections.

Karner said Austria is not yet at the heart of these threats, but it must prepare itself for situations it is not used to.

The Secretary of State for Security, Joerg Leichtfried, explained that the proposal also aims to penalise the use of agents recruited for one-off missions, which may seem harmless.

“ Recruiting people to lead them to perform acts without knowing why or for who will become a crime ", declared.

Austria, a member of the European Union but not NATO, welcomes several international organisations and is often referred to as a spy centre.

Some 220 Russian embassy officials are accredited to the country, making this one of Russia's largest diplomatic missions in Europe.

Since the entry into office of the current government in early 2025, eight Russian diplomats have been expelled from Austria, two of which in October.

In recent years, the country has been shaken by several scandals related to Russian espionage, which have damaged its reputation.

The government, led by conservatives and also integrated by social democrats and liberals, has committed itself to taking firm steps to combat this phenomenon.