What do people in Austria know about foreign and security policy issues? How many Austrians see neutrality as part of their identity? How many would be prepared to make a military contribution to national defence in the event of an armed attack – and how does this relate to people's trust in the government?

The Foreign Policy Lab at the University of Innsbruck is addressing these issues in partnership with the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) as part of the Austrian Foreign Policy Panel Project (AFP3). Since 2023, over 9,000 Austrians have responded to three waves of the survey, stating their attitudes towards compulsory military service, potential NATO membership, and humanitarian assistance. The AFP3 project team has also asked Austrians for their views on matters such as the image that the Republic should convey to the outside world, and their opinions on the expansion of the European Union.

The project thus closes a research gap in Austria - there was previously no annual panel survey on these topics in the country. Professors Martin Senn, Dominik Duell and Franz Eder of the University of Innsbruck are keen to present their research findings in a way that is understandable to a wide audience. Therefore, selected topics are presented as close read stories on the AFP3 website, annotated with many graphics, charts and explanatory texts.

All data and the documentation of the three survey waves collected to date are available in the AUSSDA Dataverse. And further waves will be added: The survey is to be continued on an annual basis, with the curated data made available for reuse.