Austria’s coalition government is preparing legislation to prohibit the use of Sharia-based agreements in civil cases following court rulings that sparked national debate over legal standards and migration policy.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Austria’s centrist coalition government is preparing to ban the application of Sharia law in civil legal disputes, following controversy triggered by a court ruling that recognized agreements made in Sharia tribunals as legally valid under Austrian civil law.
The issue gained prominence last year after the Vienna Regional Court for Civil Matters ruled that contracts concluded under Sharia principles could be upheld in civil disputes, a decision that prompted political backlash and renewed debate over migration, integration, and Austria’s legal framework.
In response, the governing coalition is now expected to prohibit the use of Sharia law in civil agreements, according to reporting by the Austrian daily Österreich, which cited internal government discussions ahead of the coalition’s annual retreat in the Mauerbach district of Vienna reports.
The retreat will bring together Chancellor Christian Stocker of the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ), and Foreign Affairs Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger of the New Austria and Liberal Forum (NEOS). While the annual meeting traditionally focuses on economic policy, this year’s agenda is expected to include a formal agreement on banning Sharia law in civil disputes, alongside broader discussions on migration-related measures.
Chancellor Stocker has publicly committed to preventing any recognition of Sharia law within Austria’s legal system, stating that “there can and will be no caliphate in Austria,” according to remarks reported by Die Welt vowed. He has said he is “not prepared to accept that Sharia, a legal system for a theocracy that contradicts our values, is valid in Austria, even if only in individual provisions.”
Opposition figures and political analysts have criticized the move as symbolic, arguing it is aimed at countering growing support for the anti-mass migration Freedom Party (FPÖ), led by Herbert Kickl. Kickl was blocked from forming a government after the 2024 elections when establishment parties from both the left and right formed the current coalition.
The ÖVP has also faced criticism from coalition partners over its rhetoric on Islamic immigration. Tensions rose after an ÖVP social media post cited a study suggesting that two-thirds of Austrians “find living together with Muslims difficult,” drawing objections from Social Democratic officials and prompting criticism from Muslim organizations criticism.
Beyond the proposed ban on Sharia-based civil agreements, the coalition is also expected to advance legislation prohibiting Islamic headscarves for girls under the age of 14 in schools.
The debate unfolds against the backdrop of significant demographic changes in Austria’s education system. Muslims now represent the largest religious group in Viennese elementary and middle schools, accounting for 41.2 percent of students, compared with 34.5 percent who identify as Christian, according to data reported by Der Standard representing.
The government has not yet released draft legislation, but coalition officials indicate that formal proposals are expected following the Mauerbach summit.
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