Vienna doubled maximum prison sentences for espionage on Wednesday, November 11, as the Austrian government unveiled legislation targeting foreign intelligence operations.
“L’approche laxiste de l’Autriche en matière d’espionnage appartient désormais fermement au passé,” Beate Meinl-Reisinger told Politico.
The proposed legislation raises the top penalty for spying against Austria from five to ten years in prison. It also broadens offenses to cover operations directed at the European Union and international organizations based in the country.
“Je voudrais faire le ménage et mettre un terme à cela,” Meinl-Reisinger said, according to Politico.
“Vienne est souvent présentée comme une capitale de’espionnage, pour des raisons historiques,” Meinl-Reisinger told the press, pointing to cultural tropes like Graham Greene’s “The Third Man.”
Austrian law previously punished espionage mostly when it directly harmed national interests. The new text introduces up to five years of imprisonment for spying on international institutions and European bodies located on Austrian soil.
“Le statut diplomatique ne doit pas servir de prétexte à des activités d’espionnage sur notre territoire,” Meinl-Reisinger warned.
Chancellor Christian Stocker defended the reform by pointing to rising foreign intelligence activity. “Nous mettons un terme à cela en renforçant notre législation,” Stocker said, as reported by Politico.
Austria has stepped up pressure on Russian diplomatic facilities since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Vienna expelled three Russian embassy employees in May 2026 after discovering satellite dishes and antennas on diplomatic roofs.
Authorities forced four additional Russian diplomats to leave in October for actions incompatible with their diplomatic status. Austria has removed 18 Russian diplomats from its territory since 2020.
The bill aims to penalize the recruitment of disposable agents used for one-off operations without knowing their sponsors. Parliament will review the text before an expected adoption next year and an entry into force scheduled for February 2027.
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