Hongaars minister van Defensie: EU moet balans zoeken tussen democratie en stabiliteit in Arabische wereld (en)

The EU supports the democratisation process in the Arab world, but member states also see the security challenges of the events. The EU must find the balance between democratic transition and stability, that people in the region get along in their native countries, said Csaba Hende, Minister of Defence, in an interview to eu2011.hu before the informal meeting of defence min-isters on 25 February 2011.

The European Union supports the democratic movements in the Arab world, but the local events also raise security concerns. What are the new security challenges that Europe must face, and how could the Hungarian Presidency tackle them?

The events will indeed create a new security situation in the Mediterranean in many respects, but its outlines are still hard to see. It is important to note that to develop the proposed actions is not in the competence of the Hungarian Presidency, but in the EU High Representative’s for Foreign Affairs and in the Security Policy and the European External Action Service’s (EEAS i). And naturally this is done in close cooperation with member states and the Presidency.

Most of the security issues that have emerged so far, including the increasing migration pressure, are not or not entirely a military one. In spite of the positive political changes, some motives behind the uprising, such as the lack of social security or the unbalanced distribution of control over the economic goods of some member states, do point to some deeply rooted structural problems that can only be managed in the long run.

The main challenge for the European Union is to find the right balance between democratic transition and stability in the region. Therefore, the EU should use every means to make the inhabitants of these countries really feel that the uprising will facilitate their everyday lives.

If we can achieve this, then people can get along in their own countries, with a consequent decrease in emigration and the containment of radical groups. Thus, we can expect that security challenges will not reach a critical level where the EU needs to use more robust means to contribute to stability in the Mediterranean.

Will this issue be on the agenda of the informal meeting of defence ministers on February 25?

The events in North Africa are not on the agenda, which has been approved by High Representative Lady Ashton and no mention has been made of any change to the programme because, as I said earlier, these issues are not primarily of a military nature. However, because this will be an informal meeting, I am sure that the events in the Arab world will be touched upon.

Further to the changes in the Lisbon Treaty i, the Hungarian Presidency wants to play a supporting role in common security and defence policy, but the European External Action Service is still not working with full capacity. What are the main areas where the High Representative relies on the Presidency?

Hungary adopted the supporting presidency’s role well before it took office: we did not determine priorities. Instead, we suggested some areas to the High Representative which we consider important during the six months. In this way, we wished to help her compile her own working programme.

Moreover, Hungarian government officers contribute to the preparation of the individual informal events. For instance, they draw up the agenda together with the External Action Service, which will be then approved by the High Representative.

If necessary, we assist the External Action Service in chairing meetings. For example, Deputy State Secretary of the Defence Ministry Péter Siklós assisted the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service in chairing the defence policy directors’ meeting. We also assisted EEAS, who now faced with a shortage of human resources, by lending a government officer for the Presidency’s term, to occasionally help his Hungarian colleagues from Brussels.

In addition to the official working group and Council meetings, we pay special attention to workshops and conferences which offer less formal opportunities to exchange opinions. During our Presidency’s term we have organised and will continue to organise many events. Just to give you an example: April’s agenda will include the role of small and medium enterprises in defence industry.

Defence ministers will discuss current EU operations at their informal meeting on Friday in Gödöllo. The Bosnian mission’s success could affect matters of not only defence but also enlargement policy. In what way do you think defence ministers can help to protect the country’s integration perspectives from the withdrawal of troops?

The EUFOR i Althea operation has been going on in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2004. By supporting the development of military capabilities, this clearly provides a major contribution to the country’s security. In fact, it fosters stabilisation not only in the country, but in the whole region.

Defence ministers of the member states agree that any decision on the operation should be made in high awareness of political considerations and not merely of military aspects. The latter, however, clearly falls within the foreign ministers’ competence.

Political settlement in the Western Balkans and the EU’s action in Bosnia and Herzegovina are also considered as priorities by Catherine Ashton i, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy i. The institution of the High Representative and the already operative EEAS are meant to guarantee that the EU uses these extensive means to take unitary action in the Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina.