Arrangements for the Democratic Control of Defence Activities

Col. Andras Ujj PhD, HU AF

“WAR IS A MUCH TOO SERIOUS MATTER TO BE ENTRUSTED TO

THE MILITARY”

Georges Clemenceau

“But who guards the Guards?”

(Plato)

WHAT IS THAT?

• H. Lasswell: The Garrison State (American Journal of Sociology 46, 1941)

• S. Andrzejewski: Military Organisation and Society (London: Routlege & Kegan Paul Ltd. 1954)

• S. Huntington: The Soldier and the State: The theory and Politics of Civil-Military Relations (Cambridge, Massachusetts; The Bellknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1957)

• M. Janowitz: The Professional Soldier: A Social and Political Portrait (London: The Free Press of Glencoe Collier-Macmillan Ltd. 1960)

• S. Finer: The Man on Horseback: The Role of the Military in Politics (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1962)

• B. Abrahamsson: Military Professionalization and Political Power (Beverly Hills & London: Sage Publications, 1972)

Criteria of Democratic Control

Division of civilian authority;

Parliamentary oversight;

Subordination of military decision making bodies to civilian institutions;

Military prestige, trustworthiness, accountability;

(Jeffrey Simon)

THE PLAYERS Elements of the Democratic Control I.

(the Hungarian example)

1. National Assembly (Defence Com., Budget Com., National Security Com., Com. for Industry, Com. on Science, etc.)

2. Constitutional Court3. President of the Republic4. Jurisdictional System5. National Audit Office6. Government

7. National Security Cabinet8. Prime Minister’s Office9. Ministry of Defence10. Ombudsman11. Nongovernmental Organisations12. Mass Media

THE PLAYERS Elements of the Democratic Control I.

(the Hungarian example)

Principles of Democratic Control The state is only one actor in society that has the legitimate monopoly of force.

The armed forces and security services are accountable to the legitimate democratic authorities;

The Parliament is sovereign and holds the executive accountable for the development, implementation and review of the security and defense policy;

The Parliament has a unique constitutional role in authorizing and scrutinizing defense and security expenditures;

The Parliament plays a crucial role with regard to declaring and lifting a state of emergency or state of war;

Principles of good governance and the rule of law apply to all branches of government and therefore also to the security sector;

Defense and security sector personnel are individually accountable to judicial courts for violations of national and international laws;

Defense and security sector organizations are politically neutral;

Summary of the Theories(Key Aspects of Democratic Control)

Constructive Military-Societal Relations;

Expertise;

Well Institutionalized Democratic Accountability;

Sharing of Responsibility;

The Creation Process of the Democratic Control

Development of the Institutional Structure;

Division of the Jurisdiction and Sphere of Authorities;

Development of Individual Relations to Democratic Control – Shaping of Personal Attitudes;

DIFFERENCES

POLITICAL versus DEMOCRATIC CONTROL CONTROL

CHANGES I.

The mission and role of Armed Forces The social status of Armed Forces The tools and methods of fulfillment of missions

Consequences (among others)

New type of relationship between civil society and its own Armed Forces

Openness – Mutual Confidence - on base of Transparency

CHANGES II.

New strategy on civil-military relations on public relations

in their nature and methods

Non negligible tools: information education

CHANGES III.

MILITARY EDUCATION versus DEFENSE EDUCATION

How to fight? How to use?

Special Education and Training for civil servants executives decision makers

Public Informationto whom – what about?

General Information on a certain level for the civil society about:

mission, tasks, structure, command and control, equipments, conditions of life and duty, etc.

of the Armed Forces.

Practical Aspects

The influence of the policy on the militaries and vice versa

How the military represents the society? Tensions between civilians and militaries

FIGHT or CO-OPERATION?

DEPENDENCE or INTERDEPENDENCE?

Relations

Politicians and Militaries;Politicians and Militaries;

Militaries and Civil Servants;Militaries and Civil Servants;

Politicians and Politicians;Politicians and Politicians;

Defence Sphere and the Citizens;Defence Sphere and the Citizens;

QUESTIONS ?