History of Austria’s membership of the European Union

Abstract

The analysis presented in the article aims to determine the place and
role of the Republic of Austria in the European Union. It shows the beginning
of this country’s membership of the EU and the political crisis of the
early 2000 after the formation of the ÖVP and FPÖ coalition at the federal
government level, which was reflected in the imposition of political sanctions
by the other EU states. The analysis covers Vienna’s stand on the prospects
of the EU enlargement over the period of the last two decades. The article
also presents the situation of this state against the background of the Common
Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), the relationship with NATO and
a discussion on the so-called “Öxit”, i.e. the prospect of Austria’s withdrawal
from the European Union. The article also shows Austrian society’s attitude
towards selected aspects of the European integration as well as the influence
of contemporary crises in the EU on the domestic and international situation
of this Mid-European state.