Austria
11 May 2005 - Austrian Parliament ratifies the EU Constitution.
25 May 2005 - Austrian senate adopts the EU Constitution and completes the ratification. Eighth country that ratifies the EU Constitution.
After the referendums in France and the Netherlans there is a majority AGAINST the EU Constitution:
29% yes - 43% no - ORF/OGM-Institut - 1 June 05
Only three far-right members of the upper house voted against, allowing Austria to become the eighth country to ratify the constitution.
The Austrian government rejected calls by Joerg Haider, leader of a minority bloc in Austria's government, for a referendum on the text.
The ruling People's Party says the constitution will give small nations like Austria greater influence within the EU.
There was a strong political will to reject a referendum on the EU Constitution. The Austrian president Heinz Fischer and the chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel have refused any moves towards a referendum.
However, Autrian Constitution forces a binding referendum in case of a total revision. In addition a revision of the Austrian constitution is prepared by a convention. Thus a referendum is not totally ruled out. At the end of October 2004 Schüssel has even re-considered this proposal stating that he want to bring this issue on the political agenda again.
The opposition to the EU situation in Austria has mainly centred on the incompatibility of the Mutual Defence Pact with Austria’s post-war neutrality. Because the mutual defence pact implies that countries must respond if a neighbour is attacked they feel this would undermine their foreign policy.
A poll published in November 2004 shows, that the Austrians are sceptical about the ratification of the EU Constitution. Only 19 per cent believe that the EU Constitution will be agreed in all countries. 57 per cent believe that it will not be ratified.
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