[1] Though constitutionally not obliged to act on, both parties in government stated that they would honour the results.

Austria is one of the few members of the European Union to still retain compulsory military service, with others in 2013 including Cyprus, Estonia, Finland and Greece.

[5] Norbert Darabos, then current Ministry of Defence, supported the proposal saying that conscription was outdated in a modern world with counterterrorism and cybercrime, with the shift of the armed forces into a professional army as being necessary due to change in threats.

[3] Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the Minister of the Interior, criticized the proposal, calling it a "2-billion-euro castle in the sky", due to the perceived cost of creating a professional army.

[3] The ÖVP viewed conscription as essential to protecting Austrian sovereignty, and in supporting natural disaster relief efforts and social security.