VIENNA: Austria is planning to widen the scope of its espionage law and introduce tougher sentencing for offenses in response to an increase in so-called hybrid threats, ministers said Wednesday. A draft bill to be submitted to parliament includes jail sentences of up to 10 years for spying to the detriment of Austria, Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger and Interior Minister Gerhard Karner told journalists. The bill also includes sentences of up to five years for espionage targeting the EU or international organizations, as well as new penalties for the recruitment of agents, they said. “In the future it will not only be about espionage to the detriment of Austria, but also to the detriment of international organizations or the EU,” Meinl-Reisinger said. Karner said Europe was increasingly being targeted with “acts of sabotage, with disinformation, with attempts to influence elections.” “Austria is not yet so much in the focus, but we must prepare. We must prepare for situations that we are not accustomed to,” he said. Austria’s state security secretary Joerg Leichtfried said the measures would also crack down on the use of “disposable agents... people who are recruited for a one-off task that perhaps looks completely harmless.” “Recruiting people to get them to do things without knowing why and for whom they are doing them... will become a criminal offense,” he said. Austria, which long saw itself as a bridge between Moscow and the West and hosts several international organizations, is regularly described as a nest of spies. Around 220 Russian embassy staff are accredited in Austria, one of Russia’s largest diplomatic missions in Europe. Eight Russian diplomats have been expelled since the current conservative-led government took office in early 2025, including two in October. The Alpine country, which is an EU but not NATO member, has been repeatedly hit by Russian spying scandals in recent years, tainting its reputation. The conservative-led government, which also comprises Social Democrats and liberals, has pledged to crack down on the problem.