On occasion of the Austrian National Day last Thursday a broad alliance of progressive and revolutionary groups organized a vivid manifestation in Vienna against the increasing militarisation of the European Union. Denouncing the cravings of Austrian imperialism to increase its military reach and deepen its exploitation of the Balkan countries, many people were reached and mobilized through the event.
The 26th of October 1955 marks the date when Austria formally stated its neutrality in the wars to come. Obviously a thorn in the side of the Austrian imperialism, this stance since then has been cut back time and time again, as the Austrian governments fumbles for any excuse imaginable to undermine it. 62 years later of what has since then become the Austrian National Day people in Vienna again took to the streets in a manifestation denouncing imperialist aggression and protesting the abolition of Austria’s stance of neutrality.
The manifestation took stance against any plans for a Joint EU Army and the likely participation of Austrian troops in it, which cannot be considered far fetched as there are already joint units with Austrian troops (e.g. EU Battlegroup 107). In the speeches it was made clear, that the EU cannot be considered a progressive institution, but rather an alliance severing the imperialist countries’ needs. The pushing forward of the European Union’s enlargement in the western Balkans – despite massive protests by its peoples against it, due to the already firm grasp of the imperialists onto their countries – is yet another indicator for this, already obvious, fact. The prepared enlargement cannot be considered to benefit the people in the countries to be included, but to enforce the imperialists reign in a region where 90% of bank capital are already under Italian, Austrian, French and German control.
