‘Blind spot’ no longer: Austria targets Russian espionage with new law

Vienna has long had a reputation for being a nest of spies, but Austria is stepping up its crackdown on espionage. “Austria will no longer be a blind spot in Europe’s security,” Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger told POLITICO on Thursday, after the government approved draft legislation to strengthen its espionage laws on Wednesday.

“Foreign intelligence services are operating increasingly aggressively in Austria,” the country’s chancellor, Christian Stocker, added. “We are putting a stop to this by tightening our laws.

In doing so, we are also helping to protect our European partners and the many international organizations based in Austria.” While the new legislation targets espionage in general, it is part of the ministry’s broader shift in policy toward Russia, according to an internal document seen by POLITICO. Under Austria’s current Criminal Code, operating or supporting a clandestine intelligence service is punishable if it harms Austrian interests.