The Austrian National Cabinet

Dear Delegates,

I am Yixuan, a junior History major in Jonathan Edwards college. Coming from Singapore, I was thrilled to see snow in New Haven until that winter wonderland degenerated into a blizzard. On campus, I’ve served on the secretariats of Yale Model United Nations XLII, YMGE 2016, YMUN Taiwan, chaired for YMUN and SCSY, and have loved the passion and energy that delegates bring to these conferences. I love dancing with the Yale Ballroom Team, watching really trashy horror flicks and imagining life after retirement.

I am thrilled to welcome you to the Austrian cabinet and Council for Health this year. I hope that through this experience, you will gain a more in-depth understanding of the complexities involved in problem-solving and diplomacy, which lie at the heart of every Model UN conference. Most importantly, I hope we remember that we are never debating in a vacuum—these are real-world issues that have a very palpable human impact. It is with this in mind that we feel truly empowered with the knowledge and strength to make some sort of difference.

Again, I am excited to meet all of you this November! If you have any questions or concerns - or if you just want to chat about college in general - please don’t hesitate to reach out to me any time at yixuan.yang@yale.edu.

Looking forward,

Yixuan Yang

The Austrian Cabinet is chaired by the Chancellor (currently Christian Kern of the Social Democratic Party), who is usually leader of the strongest political party. When the Habsburg Monarchy dissolved after World War I, the provisional Republic of German Austria elected a State Council under Chancellor Karl Renner. The establishment of the First Austrian Republic in 1919 saw a second cabinet elected with a coalition of Christian Social and Social Democratic ministers. This again collapsed in 1938 with the Nazi Anschluss, and subsequently the first post-war cabinet in 1945 was led by Leopold Figl, founder of the Social Democratic Party. Following the 1929 Austrian Constitution and up till today, cabinet members are appointed directly by the Federal President of Austria but are subject to the approval of the National Council.

In the spirit of Proporz (the allocation of political office in proportion to their electoral support), parties nominate individuals to positions of especial concern and interest to them. For instance, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) traditionally names the Minister for Labor and Social Affairs owing to its strong trade union support base, while the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) would nominate the Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, since their main interest groups include farmers. In the interest of clarity and simplicity, such myriad party interests will not play out during our committee sessions; nevertheless, it illuminates the state of Austrian politics. Finally, it is important to note that while this committee will adopt a majority vote (in accordance with YMGE Procedure), bills and resolutions in the real Austrian cabinet are actually passed unanimously.

Youth radicalization appeared at the fringes of popular attention with the rise of the Mujahideen in the 1980s, which scholars often term the “4th wave of extremism”. In 1991, Algeria’s military annulled the general election and denied the victorious Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) their seat in government. Violent protests erupted and escalated into 9 years of civil conflict. It was estimated that majority of the near-25,000 FIS rebels were below the age of 25. Djamel - a youth jihad fighter who was barely out of high school when the civil war broke of - tells his story of radicalization here.

Youth radicalization was not a new phenomenon. Be it the anarchist wave of the late 19th century, colonial resistance in the 20th century, or the leftist wave of the 1960s, ideals often found fertile breeding grounds in the minds of youth, where the hope of liberation could spiral into militancy and extremism. Yet this newest wave of radicalization is unique in its pervasiveness, decentralization, unpredictability and potential for catastrophic damage. Technology means that even without a strong organizational core, groups and even individuals are able to infiltrate the consciousness of youths across borders. New areas of disaffection render youth populations vulnerable to indoctrination and self-radicalization by unknown, unseen forces behind computer monitors and iPhone screens. Most importantly, state and world governments have to constantly keep up with the evolving ways in which radical ideologies are influencing our youth, and how youths translate that into terrorizing action.

We should note that as there is no single definition of “radical”, there is no consensus on what constitutes “radicalization”. The British MI5 defines it as “the process by which people come to support terrorism and violent extremism and, in some cases, then join terrorist groups”.

Though it is the most prevalent and receives the most prominent media attention, youth radicalization is by no means a uniquely Muslim problem. This committee shall seek to tackle the most pervasive forms of radicalization, but also consider how root causes and platforms can be addressed regardless of the motivating religion or ideology.

Case Study: Youth radicalization in Austria

Far-right groups and Islamic extremists have both gained traction in Austria. In the 2014 EU parliamentary elections, for instance, the Austrian far-right anti-immigrant Freedom Party won 8 out of 14 seats. This is coupled by a rising trend of Islamic extremism in Austria. In June 2014, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism issued a statement that “religiously motivated extremism and terrorism, above all of Islamic character...present a great potential threat.” Der Standard also reported that Vienna has become a popular transit spot for jihadists traveling from the Balkans to Syria. The matter of youth radicalization in particular garnered widespread attention in 2015, when 14-year-old Mertkan G was found to have researched bomb-construction techniques and established contacts with Syrian jihadists. He had reportedly planned to detonate it at the Vienna Westbahnhof railway station, and had persuaded another 12-year-old boy to join him in the venture, demonstrating the widespread reach of jihadist recruitment especially amongst the youth.

Case Study: EU Action

In 2005, the EU established an EU Strategy for Combating Radicalization and Recruitment which delineated three joint standards targeting terrorist radicalization and recruitment:

- Disrupt the activities of individuals and networks that draw people into terrorism

- Ensure that voices of mainstream opinion prevail over those of extremism

- Promote security, justice, democracy and opportunities for all more vigorously

Attention was subsequently directed towards youth radicalization in particular. In 2014, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) commissioned a report on preventing and countering youth radicalization. A few findings and basic principles arose from the report, namely:

- Youth radicalization cannot be isolated from its socioeconomic and political context

- Radicalization is not a linear process but a relational dynamic, requiring not just surveillance, but a multifaceted sociological approach which involves the entire community

- Dynamics of escalation and de-escalation are crucial to countering radicalization

This report made clear the complexities of youth radicalization and revealed the EU’s efforts to understand it in the context of wider societal developments. Concrete measures which evolved in Austria and the EU at large will be discussed in the next section.

Summary

- Youth radicalization is not a new phenomenon, but its reach and impact has certainly been magnified by technology and social media

- Youth radicalization has garnered increased attention in recent years, and requires a multi-faceted approach.

In 2015, the Austrian Family Ministry started a Extremist Hotline for family and friends who were concerned about those around them turning to religious fanaticism, or becoming vulnerable to militant indoctrination. Within the first 3 weeks of inception, the hotline received more than 200 calls. The Ministry further cooperated with numerous agencies and NGOs to organize over 300 workshops in prisons and schools, such as Mothers Without Borders’ “Mother Schools”, specifically tailored to women whose loved ones had gone off to fight for the Islamic State, or who worried about them developing such extremist tendencies. As a hot transit point for radicalized fighters, homegrown terrorism is also a serious problem in Austria. In November 2014 alone, an estimated 130 foreign fighters left the country to join jihadist forces, while the number rose to 190 by January 2015. More significantly, a large proportion of these fighters are youths, as Austria has had various high profile cases of teenagers marrying Syrian jihadists. The image below provides a primer on the demographics, causes and efforts against radicalization:

I. Why? The motivations for youth radicalization:

Please watch this video below on youth radicalization in France for a comprehensive take on the possible causes for and strategies against youth radicalization:

This video highlights a few points--immigrants are most prone to radicalization. It is a response to childhood discrimination, to economic and political disenfranchisement, to identity disenchantment, and to the yearning for a seemingly higher ideology that they can devote themselves to. In Austria specifically, many Muslim youths are asylum seekers from Chechnya or Bosnia, escaping from civil wars which have torn up their own nations. More than half of the foreign fighters in Syria with a connection to Austria are from the Caucasus, or are of Bosnian or Turkish origin. Seeking a better life in Austria, these immigrants are mostly jobless as unemployment rates are the highest amongst the migrant community. Disillusioned and disenfranchised, the rhetoric of radicalization then presents a compelling ideal for struggle and meaning. Prison populations are also at high risk of radicalization--Imams work on a voluntary basis. Given that an estimated one quarter of Austria’s penitentiaries are Muslims, inmates can easily be influenced by the radical ideology of other prisoners under close proximity, rendering imprisoned youths especially vulnerable.

“Many may enter prison on a minor drug charge, but they come out a few months later fully radicalized.” - Imam Ramazan Demir, who works with Austrian youths at risk of radicalization

II. What mechanisms are used for recruitment and networking?

In April 2014, two young girls aged 17 and 15 left Vienna for Raqqah, determined to become wives to fighters of the Islamic State. Of Bosnian origin, they were believed to be radicalized by their local mosque as “Jihadi brides”, the term used to describe dozens of young Austrian women who traveled to Syria each year. It also demonstrates how Vienna has become a hub for Central European jihadism.

“Vienna has served as the de facto base for Islamist extremists from southeastern Europe, a place to recruit, raise and hide funds, and radicalize, thanks to Austria’s permissive laws and weak enforcement mechanisms. It’s an exceptional terrorist or Salafi radical in Bosnia who has not spent some time in Austria. It says something that the most notorious Salafi mosque in Vienna is located directly across the street from a major military base.”- Former NSA intelligence analyst, John Schindler

Beyond the Islamic State, Vienna has also seen active involvement from Hamas. Austrian newspaper Die Jüdische published an article titled “Fighting Islamic State, Ignoring Hamas”, reporting on how the interior ministry conducted a workshop against “hate and agitation”, covering preventive efforts in countering online radicalization and hate crimes. It further reported on how preacher Adnan Ibrahim--despite criticizing the Islamic State for murdering fellow Muslims--had praised Hamas for its quest against “non-believers”. This article recounts a more detailed approach to terrorist recruitment.

Many foreign fighters also return to Austria to recruit. As they return from war zones, their practical combat skills and traumatic experience also increase the likelihood of radicalizing those around them, encourage acts of terrorism at home, or serve as proselytizers of new hearts of radicalization. Thus, prevention also involves integrating returning Muslims back into society in order to reduce further radicalization.

III. How can we tackle this?

According to a report by Viennese daily Der Standard, Austria’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (BVT) faces tight legal restrictions on intelligence collection. For instance, it is not permitted to search profiles on social networks without a court order, even though Facebook and Twitter serve as important entry points to gathering information. Data also has to be deleted after a period of six months if no further investigation is required. Thus, legislation and regulation--especially with regards to tech companies and virtual spaces--is crucial to the debate. The video below articulates just a few of the key concerns faced in this struggle:

http://www.wsj.com/podcasts/tech-companies-grapple-with-online-terrorist-propaganda/2AD5D8F6-702D-47BC-B7D8-FDC0DAC39F34.html 

A more holistic approach may also be required, with the Brookings Institute suggesting a framework such as “Intelligence, Integration and Development” to develop a comprehensive response to counterterrorism. It calls for the establishment of not just better information-gathering mechanisms, but a conscious effort to integrate migrant youth and implement socioeconomic reform. Consider how different ministers would approach this based on their portfolios and powers.

Summary

- Youth extremism in Austria disproportionately affects immigrants, and intersects with myriad socioeconomic, political and identity issues

- Legislation and regulation, especially in terms of gathering intelligence, is a major issue in Austria

Start with a primer on youth extremism in general, please refer to:

- UN reports and links, such as this video on the Radicalization of youth

- EU wide reports and primers: e.g. Europa’s strategy

- For a broad study of radicalization, you could also refer to think tanks and scholarship sites, such as Radicalisation Research, Brookings, and RAND

For more specific instances in Austria:

- The Counter Extremism Project provides more specific case studies

- Read up on news articles in Austrian papers such as Der Standard and The Local, to keep in touch with the current situation of youth radicalization in Austria

Although youth radicalization has specific characteristics, it would also help to understand terrorist recruitment and networks in general.

For measures targeting youth radicalization:

- TED: Counter-radicalization of youth

- UN: UNESCO - preventing radicalization of youth, UN News on preventing youth radicalization

- EU: Council of Europe preventing children radicalization