Prague, 1 - 2 may 1998
1 May 1998
The Workshop was opened by the Project Manager, Ing. Jaroslav Vítek, at 9 a. m. He welcomed all participants of the Workshop, in particular honorary foreign guests - Colonel Franz Xaver Lauterer, Military and Air Attaché of FRG to CR, and Mr. Viktor Barinov, First Secretary of Embassy of the Russian Federation to CR. Mr. Vítek also welcomed the Chairman of the Association of Reserve Officers of the Polish Army, Dr. Jerzy Jackiewicz, having been present as an observer.
The opening address was delivered by the Chairman of the Association of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of ACR, Assistant to the Project Manager, Ing. Václav Proke. In his speech, he emphasized that the whole Project, within which this Workshop was the peak of its first part, represented a considerable contribution of the Association of Commissioned and Warrant Officers and cooperating associations to solution of very important issues what the civil control of the military was in countries experiencing not easy period of social transformation. He appreciated in this context a considerable contribution of the Association of Reserve Officers of Bundeswehr to implementation of the Project. He wished the participants of the meeting every success during the Workshop.
After that, the main address to the topic of "The Civil Control of the Military in Democratic Societies, Status and Ways of Development" was delivered by a member of the Project Implementation Team, Professor Armin Steinkamm (see the text).
With the Czech view to the given issues then took floor a member of the Central Council of SDP ACR, Dr. Antonín Sverák (see the text).
The Hungarian view was presented by a representative of the Association of Hungarian Reserve Officers, Asst. Professor Zoltán László Kiss (see the text).
With the Slovak view took the floor a member of the Slovak delegation, Ing. Peter vec (see the text).
The negotiations of the Workshop working groups were opened at 3 p. m. The first working group discussed issues of the "Civil Control of the Military as Part of Working of the Civic Society" (headed by Dr. Milo Balabán), the second working group focused on the topic of the "Armed Forces and Mechanisms of the Civil Control" (headed by the Senior Lecturer, Dr. Felix Cernoch).
Results of the Working Groups Talks:
Working Group I: "Civil Control of the Military as Part of Working of the Civic Society"
The working group discussed determination of a term of the "civic society". The two definitions of the civic society occurred - the civic society could be characterized as engagement of citizens outside the state structures (Dr. Miroslav Purkrábek). The civic society is the whole society, and a soldier is part of this society. If this is not the case, the serious consequences are ahead /example of the German Reichswehr/ (Jürgen von Lowtzow).
During subsequent discussion, it was stated that the civic society is, by its way, not comprehensive in CR, the civic society misses its individual connecting links. It is necessary to create that part of the civic society that would deal with the military, which will have a considerable impact on a level of the civil control of the military. In this context, also Western experience was mentioned, for example, with formation of the so-called "Strategic Community".
The participants of the working group agreed upon the fact that if the civil control was to be effective, it had to assist with integration of the military into society. There is a considerable positive experience in this field in Germany.
In this context, also responsibility of either party, society and the military, was stressed out because they both set the concrete content of the civil control of the military. The participants from CR, Hungary and Slovakia agreed that a certain paradox occurred in their countries because predominantly soldiers themselves understood better what the content and mechanisms of the civil control of the military was all about.
Also the global nature of the civil control of the military was markedly expressed because it was felt in activities on non-governmental organizations engaging on the territories of the UN peacekeeping operations.
The participants of the working group supported a thesis worded by Dr. Purkrábek that "non-governmental organizations has no legal authority to carry out the civil control of the military but by their non-formal authority they can and even they must play a major role in integration of the military into the society". Following this thesis, it was stated that influence of non-governmental organizations can be in this field considerably higher providing they are members of international organizations or they are holders of international projects. Thanks to that, the problem of the civil control of the military can be transferred to deal with it at the international level.
Also the conclusion is important that non-governmental organizations should play crucial role in explanation what the civil control of the military represents and means towards as highest as possible number of citizens. It should be well understood by both ordinary soldier and ordinary citizen.
Working group II: "Armed Forces and Mechanisms of the Civil Control"
At the beginning of the working group talks, an interesting discussion began on the term of the civil control of the military. A number of participants said that it should have been rather spoken about the democratic control. If this control will be really democratic, what means heading to openness to as largest as possible constituency of citizens, cannot be at the same time anti-civilian. It will be then sufficient to speak about the democratic control what encompasses all. But the democratic control cannot be taken perceptually only, that is in an inspection sense as supervision, or oversight, but in a more active approach as management.
In relation to the above-mentioned, it was emphasized that mechanisms of the civil control strongly depend on a level of political decision making. The politics, and of course politicians, must understand the military art and military policy - only under this situation it is possible to come up to development of laws and norms, which set the contents and forms of the civil control of the military. Participants of the working group have agreed upon the fact that only the law can rule on who, what, and how one should, can and must perform the control.
Naturally, a question arises here on what room is left for engagement of soldiers, for expressing their opinions and viewpoints in the given matter. Much is up to the political climate in society here - participants in this context agreed that the model positive example of engagement of soldiers in life of society, and by that also in the civil control of the military processes, is the German example - application of a thesis about soldiers as citizens in uniform together with working of Innere Führung system guarantee mutual understanding of the military and society. At the same time, it was pointed out that a great role is played here by non-governmental organizations, which cooperate with the military, including Association of Reserve Officers of the Bundeswehr.
At the end of the working group talks, its participants opened increasingly topical issue of the civil control of the military under conditions of fully professional army. The professionalization of the military poses a certain risk of closeness and isolation from the rest of society, which should have the military under the public oversight. It will be therefore necessary to look for substitution forms of the control of the military, and influence to be applied on armed forces, including providing relevant instruments for this control. But it is clear that mechanisms of the civil control will differ both at the executive and legislation bodies as well as at the non-governmental sector - non-governmental organizations. Even today it is necessary to get ready for the given situation.
2 May 1998
The final panel discussion of the Workshop participants was held on 2 May 1998. In its opening, the participants appreciated negotiations within the working groups on 1 May 1998. At the same time, it was emphasized that conclusions from the working groups showed that issues of the civil control of the military became increasingly topical in society, in its institutions including armed forces.
In relation to this statement, members of the Czech delegation proposed that one of outcomes of the Phare Project in CR should be addressed to competent ministries to include issues of the civil control of the military into curriculum of civil grammar schools and civil and military colleges and universities. At the same time, it could be possible to address colleges and universities, and offer the students to develop the thesis on the subject topic. It would be then happy that initiator of these steps should be the Association of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of ACR.
Members of the German delegation made the participants of the panel familiar with a practice of the "young officers" of Bundeswehr, whose job is also communication with the youth at schools, and they stated that part of this communication is also explanation of issues of the civil control of the military. Together with the above, the participants were also acquainted with a complexity of disbanding the National People´s Army of the former German Democratic Republic, and a transfer of its service members into the Bundeswehr. The important part of a new educational process of new service members were just the issues of the civil control of the military as a key topic, understanding of which became a prerequisite for achieving a needy change in view at the place of the military in society.
The Czech delegation also mentioned the need of the civil control of the military inside the Army. One of forms in this area could be introduction of a spokesperson of conscripts. This institute worked within the Army in 1990 - 1992 already but was abolished than. Its renewal could become a considerable assistance for practical implementation of the civil control inside the Army. The Association of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of ACR therefore supports efforts of another non-governmental organization - Association of Soldiers and the Youth - for restoration of the institute of a spokesperson.
At the end of the panel discussion, the Workshop participants agreed upon the fact that the problem of the civil control of the military was very broad, and its full implementation in post-communist countries would be a long-term goal. The complexity of the civil control of the military, its forms, methods, and ties among individual holders of the control result also from the fact that the Army is in a fact a non-democratic organization in democratic society. That obviously causes problems in implementation of the civil control. But problems also in this field (and their solution) are accompanying phenomena of democracy because the country that insists itself that it has no problems with the civil control of the military, cannot be a democratic country.
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