/pub/history/military/a-weu/documents File: 1386cppr.rus Document 1386 3rd November 1993 Parliaments, military service laws and public opinion ________ REPORT (1) submitted on behalf of the Committee for Parliamentary and Public Relations (2) by Sir Russell Johnston, Rapporteur ______ TABLE OF CONTENTS ================= DRAFT RESOLUTION on parliaments, military service laws and public opinion EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM submitted by Sir Russell Johnston, Rapporteur I. Introduction II. Parliaments and national service (a) Parliaments and the drafting of the laws on national service (b) Parliamentary debates III. The laws and reforms of national service (a) National service laws now in force (b) Ongoing national service reforms IV. Defence, national service and public opinion (a) Informing the public about defence and national service (b) National service and the state of public opinion ------------------ Draft Resolution ================ on parliaments, military service laws and public opinion The Assembly, (i) Recalling its Recommendations 469, 534 and 535 in which the Council is asked: (a) to take steps to give practical expression to the European pillar of defence, in particular by encouraging the creation of multinational units, and to take action to allow, at an individual level, the exchange of military personnel between countries to enhance their awareness of European co- operation and to serve as a useful recruiting incentive for their armed forces; (b) to take every opportunity to ensure that the debate on reserve forces and national service benefits from the common fund of experience and requirements, to stimulate informed debate in member countries on revised roles for reserve forces, as well as reductions in and possible restructuring of national service, and to invite WEU parliamentarians to participate in discussions on these topics; (c) to ask the ministries of defence of member states to organise the dissemination of appropriate information regarding military matters to all parliamentarians and especially those who have no service background; (ii) Recalling Resolution 90 inviting the parliaments of member countries to encourage the participation of members of the WEU Assembly in activities dealing with European security and defence policy; (iii) Noting that reforms are being conducted in the member countries of WEU with the aim of reducing the duration of national service, changing its form or terminating it outright and that substantial reductions in the strengths of the armed forces are being made; (iv) Aware of the need to reform the armed forces in order to prepare them for the geostrategic conditions of the post-cold war era and the new tasks being assigned to them in the framework of multilateral operations by WEU, NATO and the United Nations; (v) Convinced of the importance of reinforcing the link between citizens and the armed forces with a view to achieving an integrated European defence capable of playing its full role as the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance and as the operational component of the European Union; (vi) Stressing the need to keep public opinion informed of what the reform of national service and the structure of the armed forces implies for the defence of Europe, INVITES THE PARLIAMENTS OF MEMBER COUNTRIES 1. To hold debates on the reform of national service as appropriate and the structure of the armed forces, taking into account national requirements and also the overall requirements of European defence with due consideration for the reforms being conducted in member countries; 2. Taking into account the information drawn from debates in 1954, to encourage their defence and foreign affairs committees to co-operate with the defence and foreign affairs committees of the parliaments of other member countries of WEU, associate members and observers with a view to examining the present requirements of integrated European defence and, as necessary, the possibility of organising a European civil and military service; 3. To examine the harmonisation of legislation in member countries governing national service and the status of military personnel in order to reduce present differences and foster the exchange of personnel and the formation of European multinational military units; 4. To encourage the participation of parliamentarians, particularly those who are members of the WEU Assembly, in activities for informing the public about what the defence of Europe means and the need to pool defence efforts, resorting to the greatest possible extent to radio and televised means of communication; 5. To keep the WEU Assembly informed of their deliberations in this domain. ---------------- Explanatory Memorandum ====================== (submitted by Sir Russell Johnston, Rapporteur) I. Introduction ------------ An important factor in the era of upheaval in the European continent since the second half of the eighties is a challenge to hitherto established ideas in defence questions. In the period of confrontation between the Atlantic Alliance and the Warsaw Pact, it was necessary to have vast human resources to meet the possibility of major warfare in Europe. Although in every western country there was already a tendency towards reducing troop levels and the duration of military service, progress in this direction still depended to a large extent on the constraints of the geostrategic situation resulting from the second world war and it was essential not to weaken the defence posture of the alliance in face of the superiority of the enemy in both troops and equipment. Everything changed with the collapse of the Berlin wall. The end of the Warsaw Pact and the diminishing threat of widespread hostilities in Europe gave the member states of the alliance and of WEU considerable elbow room for reforming the armed forces and both national and European defence arrangements in general. Pressed by economic problems, this process accelerated and moved very quickly from the framework of concerted reductions and reforms between allies to a purely national framework where far greater consideration was paid to economic and electoral matters peculiar to each country at the risk, in the medium and long term, of jeopardising the whole edifice of European defence. Although each country may act according to its own criteria, there are a few easily-recognised common features, be it at the level of motivation (economic, electoral) or method (reduction of strengths and duration of national service, reform in the sense of greater professionalisation of the armed forces depending on the national particularity of each country). In the front line of these changes decided and desired by the existing political authorities are the parliaments, which have to vote the laws governing the reform of national service and the structure of the armed forces. The role of the legislative power is very important in this matter even if the process of drawing up texts is essentially under the control of the executive power and its administrations. Parliaments discuss the texts taking into account both the considerations of a general national order and the impact of the laws voted on the regional network, since members of parliament are responsible to their constituencies. Any reform of national service will have local economic repercussions which are not negligible: the reduction or suppression of national service will result in the closing of bases and other military installations which sometimes make a significant contribution to the economic welfare of different regions in each country. Even if in most cases the outcome of the debates is generally approval of governmental decisions, parliaments may make amendments or changes to the texts proposed which allow them to play a supervisory role in matters concerning the reform of national service and the armed forces. Since parliamentary activities are in the public domain (auditions and debates open to the public and the media) this allows public opinion to be associated with these questions other than through sociological studies whose results are only relative depending on whether those who organise the studies are governmental organisations or private institutions. In turn, the attitude of the public expressed nowadays through opinion polls and other public inquiries will have an impact on the debates on national service and the reform of the armed forces because, with an eye to the elections, politicians (future ministers and members of parliament) will be inclined to wish to follow the opinion of the electorate on these matters. Coupled with economic problems, this partly explains why a similar process can be seen in most European countries with compulsory national service, i.e. the wish to reduce national service (a measure which is highly appreciated by the populations concerned, i.e. young people of call-up age) and possibly to suppress it outright, resorting increasingly to professional armies. If, initially, it is welcome news that states are reducing their armed forces and defence expenditure as a result of their perception of a more stable security environment in Europe and in spite of crises in the East, one must reflect on the medium- and long-term consequences of this process which is at the discretion of each state depending on their various concepts and interests. Here, parliamentary action is important because parliamentary debate can help to enlighten the executive and public opinion on what the reforms involve, not immediately, since the principle of reform is almost always accepted, but in the more distant future where instability seems to be the only prospect. In this context, it is important to reflect on the reform of national service and the armed forces not only in the national framework, but also taking due account of similar reforms being conducted in neighbouring and allied countries. Here too, parliaments have a role to play through their members who are in contact with other members of parliament from other countries in the various European interparliamentary institutions dealing with European political, economic and defence questions. These institutions must also develop close co-operation on these matters with the parliaments and it is their responsibility to provide a framework for close examination of questions regarding the creation of an efficient joint defence system. The exchange of ideas and experience will be a means of transition from the national framework - which is still the first priority - to a European framework which will allow the foundations to be laid for a true European defence system based not only on texts but also confirmed in practice by the existence of a true European army composed of citizens of the various countries concerned which have had the same basic training and education, due account being taken of the specifics of each country. Unity being strength, a credible European army must also have human resources which will allow it to carry through the tasks it is accorded at any time and in any place without losing sight of its principal raison d'etre - the defence of each of its members which provide units and belong to the organisation concerned. This calls for the harmonisation of legislation governing national service which takes account of future priorities without which the defence of Europe will long depend on outside backing from others whose interests may not always coincide with those of Europe. In the framework of this report on the member countries of WEU which are in the process of conducting reforms of national service and the armed forces and in order to illustrate further the need to harmonise legislation and inform public opinion of what is at stake, other than economic and electoral considerations, in the reforms being conducted, we shall first examine the responsibilities of parliaments in defence questions and military service, then present the laws in force in each country concerned and the reforms being conducted and, finally, present the attitude of public opinion towards these questions and its influence on those who take decisions and the reforms in question. This will offer an overall picture of the question of national service and its impact on the defence of Europe. II. Parliaments and national service -------------------------------- In Recommendation 534 (3), the WEU Assembly recommended that the Council "stimulate informed debate in member countries on revised roles for reserve forces as well on reductions in and possible restructuring of national service" and "invite WEU parliamentarians to participate in discussions on these topics." It has to be noted that in reality there is truly a restructuring of national service in the member countries of WEU which over-rides any other consideration concerning the question of reserve forces and their tasks. As in an economic process, strengths are first pared down with a view to improving productivity at least cost, forgetting that defence is not a commercial undertaking. Again, this process of restructuring of national service remains cloistered in the national framework of each country without WEU parliamentarians, who are above all representatives of their nations, being able to influence the decisions of their parliaments towards harmonisation of legislation and the search for solutions at WEU level. Moreover, in its reply to Recommendation 534, the Council merely confirms this state of affairs by affirming repeatedly that "questions pertaining to the debate on reserve forces and national service in any member country are not, at present, on the agenda of the Council and its working groups." In other words, these questions are still exclusively a national matter to the detriment to prior consultation between members of WEU. It is therefore for the parliaments of each country concerned to decide on these questions in the national framework alone and in a manner peculiar to each country. (a) Parliaments and the drafting of laws on national service In western democracies, the laws of the country are at the top of the hierarchy of rules governing the operation of the national community. In theory, therefore, parliaments have the task of deciding on important questions concerning that community. National service, as one expression of the commitment of citizens to national defence, is one of the questions which are the responsibility of parliaments. In most cases, the responsibility of parliaments in questions of national service is affirmed in the constitution or basic law of each country in often identical terms, as can be seen from the following table: TABLE 1 Sources of parliamentary responsibility ______________________________________________________________________ Country Source Text ______________________________________________________________________ Belgium Constitution, Art. 118 The method of recruitment of the army is determined by law. It also governs the promotion, rights and obligations of military personnel. France Constitution of 4th The law fixes the rules concerning October 1958, Art. 34, ... the constraints imposed by alinea 2 national defence on citizens in their person and in their property. Germany Parliamentary law The Federation has exclusive Article 73 paragraph 1 legislative competence in the following matters: 1. Foreign affairs and defence, including the protection of the civilian population ... Italy Constitution, Art. 52 The defence of the homeland is a sacred duty of the citizen. Military service is compulsory within the limits and in accordance with the means fixed by law. Netherlands Constitution, Art. 98, The law governs compulsory paragraph 3 military service. It also governs the obligations that may be imposed for the defence of the country on those who are not members of the armed forces. Portugal Constitution, Art. 167, The Assembly of the Republic has alinea (d) exclusive legislative responsibility in the following matters: ... (d) The organisation of national defence, definition of the duties stemming from programme laws fixing the fundamental principles of the organisation, operation and discipline of the armed forces. Spain Constitution of 27th The law shall fix the military December 1978, Art. 30, obligations of Spaniards and will paragraph 2 regulate, with the necessary guarantees, conscientious objection and other cases of exemption from compulsory military service. If necessary, it may impose alternative social service. ______________________________________________________________________ Thus parliamentary responsibilities regarding national service seem to be well-defined in constitutional texts, this rule also being valid for Luxembourg (4). Article 96 of its constitution stipulates that everything concerning the armed forces is governed by law. Parliament can legitimately debate questions of national service even if in practice the initiative for reforms and changes is almost always a task for executive i.e. defence ministers. When national service laws are discussed, this forces a procedural and fundamental balance between parliament and the governmental agencies concerned. (b) Parliamentary debates Consideration of bills presented in parliament follows specific procedures which vary from country to country in accordance with parliamentary tradition. In view of its implications for the defence preparedness of a country, national service calls for special precautions when the corresponding legislation is voted. In most countries, procedure is simple but the outcome is the result of a running compromise between parliament, its specialised committees, ministers of defence and sometimes of the economy, and other government authorities. Generally, parliaments have only a very narrow margin of manoeuvre which hardly encourages a wide- ranging debate that has an impact on public opinion, the only aspects which draw attention being the reduction in the duration of service or its suspension in favour of purely volunteer armed forces. The consequences of reforming national defence generally pass unnoticed, this being even more true when it is a question of European defence. This focalisation on the more attractive aspects of reforming national service leaves little choice to parliamentarians who have to take into account the favourable judgment of public opinion regarding plans to reduce or terminate national service. Another important factor in the debate on national service is the information available to parliamentarians regarding the intentions and plans of the executive. In principle, the appropriate committees are informed but they have few possibilities of changing significantly the texts submitted to them and in most countries the government is able to obtain approval for its programmes should views differ in the committees and in parliament. At the end of this process, parliaments have only an a postiori power of supervision of the correct application of the texts approved. If, on the one hand, handling questions regarding national defence requires certain special rules to be respected (the secrecy or confidentiality of certain information provided to members of parliamentary defence committees) on the other hand, the same rules leave little scope for open parliamentary debate on these matters. The British example is quite interesting in this matter concerning national defence and structure of the armed forces. All government information, including defence matters, is covered by the Official Secrets Act. This makes the unauthorised disclosure of information an offence. This leads to information on defence being much less readily available to parliament and the country at large than in many other democracies. In the British system, it is assumed that parliament has no automatic rights of information to state information unless it is released by the executive for a particular reason. Despite this general principle, several conventions have grown up which entail that parliament does have some influence over defence policy. The government presents an annual defence white paper, the statement on the defence estimates (SDE), usually between April and July. The SDE is subject to a two-day debate, usually held in the following October. By convention, three one-day debates are also held, one for each service, which provide a further opportunity for defence policy to be scrutinised. Individual members can also raise specific defence matters of interest during adjournment debates, which are held late at night on Monday to Thursday evenings and on Friday afternoons. Subjects debated might include a defence order for a particular company in a member's constituency, the closure of a local defence base or the disbandment of a local regiment. Besides the SDE, two other sets of defence estimates are also subject to parliamentary approval. The former concerns the maximum number of personnel allowed for each service in the next financial year. The second set of estimates are the financial supply estimates. Although a limited analysis of expenditure is provided in the SDE for the forthcoming year, which is usually published before the consolidated fund debate, and a more detailed analysis of procurement expenditure is later released in the major project statement, parliament must vote for the defence budget in its entirety. Unlike the United States or German systems, for example, there is no possibility for parliament to amend or veto a particular project or item of expenditure. Members can also obtain information through the use of parliamentary questions. The Secretary of State for Defence is subject to oral questioning approximately once a month when the House is sitting. Defence ministers can and do refuse to comment on certain questions if they involve sensitive areas of policy. Under the constitution, ministers are responsible for the conduct of government policy and of civil servants to parliament. There is therefore littlel direct contact between MOD officials and MPs. One means of contact is via the Defence Select Committee which publishes reports on a wide variety of subjects. The committee is provided with much information which is not available to the public, particularly in relation to the costs and status of equipment projects. In doing so, the committee takes evidence from MOD officials in public and in camera, as well as ministers, and visits defence bases. Civil servants and ministers can, however, refuse to reply to particular questions. The situation is hardly different in other member countries of WEU since parliamentarians are fairly dependent on information they receive from their respective administrations. Instead of examining the consequences of the proposed reforms in the medium and long term, there is merely a debate on the immediate effects of such reforms (reduction of the duration or termination of national service). Furthermore, such a debate is always limited to the national framework without problems being tackled at European level, although certain members attend European or Atlantic parliamentary institutions with responsibility in defence matters. This situation and the resulting concern are illustrated in paragraph 5 of the Assembly's Recommendation 535 (5) which recommends that the Council "ask the ministries of defence of member states to organise the dissemination of appropriate information regarding military matters to all parliamentarians and especially those who have no service background." The Council's reply that this question is "within the competence of the respective governments of WEU member states, not within that of the Council", confirms that the national factor is still the most important and the only reference for laws and reforms of national service. III. The laws and reforms of national service ---------------------------------------- Except for the United Kingdom and Luxembourg, where there is no national service, all the other member countries of WEU have started to reform their national service and the structure of their armed forces. The reasons invoked are the same in all cases: the end of the cold war, the peace dividend and economic problems in European countries. The end of the cold war and the agreements signed concerning reductions in equipment and troops in Europe (6) have resulted in the reduction of personnel and the duration of national service and even plans for terminating service altogether. The peace dividend is the result of the near disappearance of the threat of major hostilities in Europe. The need for huge armies with heavy equipment and prepared for total warfare is no longer felt. At the same time, peripheral fighting, as in the Gulf and ex-Yugoslavia, has turned military thoughts towards light, highly-mobile units - although with very sophisticated equipment - composed mainly of professional soldiers or volunteers to take part in various operations to re-establish international order, maintain peace, protect peace and humanitarian or other operations. With the help of the media, the idea that it is possible to ensure the defence of a country by the means used for humanitarian assistance or the relative protection of civilian populations has made an impression on public opinion and certain leaders too. This is leading to reforms tending in the medium or long term to create armies almost completely composed of regular soldiers or volunteers prepared to accept fairly long contracts. A determining factor is the need to reduce public expenditure in a period of economic austerity. Choices have to be made between maintaining armies of conscripts, procuring new technology, maintaining armaments programmes, all in a context of reducing defence budgets. In accordance with the predominant economic theory, strengths are reduced first without too much regard for future consequences in terms of national or European defence and also the social and economic repercussions. By amending existing laws on national service, the way is opened for reforming the very structure of the armed forces with a view to adapting them to the requirements of the day. (a) National service laws now in force It is difficult to speak of a national service law in each case. In each country several texts overlap, tackling this question from different angles depending on the evolution of the concepts of national defence and of society - modification of the duration, conscientious objection, dual nationality. It is possible, however, to isolate texts which cover more or less all the rules of national service. By comparing the different laws, it is also possible to pick out the various national concepts regarding defence questions and find common points which will perhaps one day allow a European law on national service to be drawn up. Table 2 presents the laws on national service in force in each country. TABLE 2 National service laws (7) ______________________________________________________________________ Country Laws Details ______________________________________________________________________ Belgium Laws on the co-ordinated Art. 2 1. All Belgian militia of 30th April citizens must accomplish 1962 (8) military service. 2. Apart from the cases provided for in the present law and without prejudice to the execution of international conventions, this service has no exception. It takes priority over all other service. ______________________________________________________________________ France Law 71-424 of 10th National service is universal. It January Art. L.1. is in the form of military service 1971 on military service to meet the requirements of the army; civil service to meet the other requirements of defence and of solidarity ... ______________________________________________________________________ Germany Law of 13th June 1986 on Art. 1 1 (1). Military service national service is compulsory for all German citizens, in accordance with the Basic Law, with effect from 18 years of age ... (2). Military service is compulsory but it may be deferred for Germans resident abroad. 3. The obligation to accomplish military service has two aspects: military service itself and civil service. ______________________________________________________________________ Italy Law 958 of 24th December Art. 1 1. The armed forces serve 1986 the republic for the defence of the country; they participate in safeguarding institutions and the national wealth in the event of public catastrophe. ______________________________________________________________________ Netherlands Law of 4th February This is the oldest national service 1922 law still in force. ______________________________________________________________________ Portugal Law 30/87 of 7th July Art. 1 1. Defence of the country 1987 is the duty and fundamental right of all Portuguese. 2. Military service, the accomplishment of which is compulsory in accordance with this law, is the military contribution of each citizen to the defence of the country. ______________________________________________________________________ Spain Law 19/1984 of 8th June Art. 1 2. Military service in the 1984 armed forces is a fundamental personal contribution of Spaniards to national defence. ______________________________________________________________________ Over and above differences of form such as the number of articles, more or less detailed provisions, national particularities, the laws governing national service have one common characteristic: affirmation of the principle that national service is the fundamental contribution of citizens to national defence, and not just in military terms as can be seen from the French and Italian laws. This basic idea of the participation of citizens in defending common values and their territory is the main pillar of national cohesion. This does not mean that in countries where there is no national service the link between the citizen and national defence is less strong. In the United Kingdom, where conscription was abolished at the end of the fifties, the conversion to a professional army was accompanied by measures to maintain and strengthen the standing and image of the armies in the nation and to promote recruitment. The press and television are used to convey to the public a good image of the army, recruitment offices have action programmes directed towards young people in schools and universities to convince future recruits and everyone around them of the value of the army as a profession. These measures allow a link to be maintained between citizens and defence in a context where there is no national service. Each country has its own military tradition, however, and national standards are not completely interchangeable. (b) Ongoing national service reforms Flexibility and rationalisation are keywords in the reform of armed forces. It is a question of creating forces prepared for action at short notice, highly mobile and polyvalent, with the task of taking part in actions in conventional warfare (the Gulf war), low intensity fighting and conducting operations in the framework of United Nations missions. This type of force calls for highly motivated personnel, trained to act in all circumstances with a high degree of technical knowledge and able to use increasingly sophisticated weapons involving advanced technology. In order to create such units on a wide scale, while reducing defence budgets, choices have to be made in terms of personnel and equipment starting from the principle that strengths have to be lower but better prepared and equipped, less materiel but more modern and of higher performance. In terms of strengths, the greatest changes will be made in national service from reduction to its complete suppression. (i) Germany By the year 2000, the Bundeswehr will have 300 000 men, far less than the 370 000 planned in the framework of the 2 + 4 agreements on the reunification of Germany. Compulsory military service will be reduced probably from one year to nine months. The basic structure of the armed forces will be built around rapid action units and units destined mainly for the defence of the territory. (ii) Belgium Compulsory military service will be terminated from 1994 in accordance with the law of 31st December 1992 amending the laws on the co-ordinated militia. It should be noted that these laws have not been abrogated but the law of 31st December 1992 has inserted a new article limiting their scope of application to the 1993 contingent and previous contingents. The duration of service has been reduced to six months in Germany and eight months in Belgium for 1993. In the year 2000, the armed forces will be composed of 40 000 men (civilian and military) instead of 81 000 at present. A reserve of 30 000 will be maintained. (iii) Spain Spain wishes to have a smaller, more flexible army which can be mobilised quickly. The total of all services by the year 2000 is to be some 180 000 men, half of which will be called up only in the event of an emergency. Command authorities wish to stress the formation of militia and reservists who will serve in units formed only in times of emergency. About 50% will be regulars. National service has been reduced to nine months and it will be possible to recall the militia only during the three years following the end of their service. (iv) France It is planned that in 1997 the armed forces will include 225 000 men (9), 110 000 of which will be regulars and 115 000 conscripts. Compulsory military service will be maintained an ten months. The law of 4th January 1992 amending national service increased the list of possibilities offered in the framework of civil service, which now includes civil service in the police, the national security service, the civil service of conscientious objectors, the VSNE system (volontaires service national entreprise) and military service in cities. At present, 6% of recruits do civil service but this number will probably increase in future years. It should be noted that in his general policy statement on 8th April 1993, the Prime Minister, Mr. Balladur, described his aim as being to establish a white paper analysing the new situation at present, potential threats and the means for the country to ensure its independence and survival in all circumstances. He added that it was on the basis of the conclusions of that white paper that the minister of state would draw up a military programme for submission in spring 1994. Pending this law, no change concerning national service is to be introduced before 1995-1996. (v) Italy Italian armed forces will be composed of 15 brigades instead of 25 at present, five of which will be regulars and ten in what is known as a "second intervention" capacity with training and monitoring tasks. It is planned to form four replacement brigades in the event of emergencies. In 1997, the armed forces will have about 287 000 men. The number of volunteers will be increased by about 35 000 men and compulsory military service will continue to be reduced, starting with a reduction of 15 000 men in 1993. In the new approach to the armed forces, a greater place is to be accorded to women on a voluntary basis. (vi) Netherlands The Netherlands Government is planning a reduction of 44% in five years - for the ground forces the reduction will be 54%. Compulsory military service will be reduced to nine months in 1994 and abolished progressively in five years. At the beginning of 1998, the Netherlands armed forces will be wholly professional. Their strength will be 70 000 including civilian personnel. In case of need, it is planned to be able to increase strengths to 100 000 calling upon voluntary reservists. (vii) Portugal In 1994, compulsory military service will be four months after a transitional period during which the period will be eight months. Stress is laid on the recruitment of volunteers, initially for a period of one year and subsequently for the longer period of eight years. The duration of service will be reduced to four months only if the number of volunteers meets the requirements of the armed forces. Basic training will be the same for conscripts and for volunteers, except for those who serve in the airborne brigade. Considering these plans for reforms, some of which have already been started, it can be concluded that the idea of compulsory military service now seems to be losing much of its attractiveness. It will not be possible for discussions between advocates and opponents of national service to change the course of the reforms started which seem to be increasingly irreversible. Even the United Kingdom, where national service no longer exists, is not evading the process of reducing strengths. By the end of the century, the United Kingdom armed forces will have 241 000 men (119 000 in the army, 70 000 in the airforce and 52 500 in the navy) compared with some 293 500 today. The maintenance of 40 infantry battalions instead of the 38 planned in the reform plans (compared with 55 in 1992) will be possible only to the detriment of equipment investment. Faced with these plans for reform, one may wonder what forces WEU with its present membership will have after 1998 in order to exercise to the full its role of defending the interests of the member countries. TABLE 3 WEU: present strengths, planned reforms and limits imposed by the CFE-1A agreement (10) ______________________________________________________________________ Country Strengths in 1993 Strengths by 1997 Ceilings under (thousands) after reforms the CFE 1A (thousands) agreement ______________________________________________________________________ Belgium 81 40 70 ______________________________________________________________________ France 411 (including 370; 225 325 national gendarmerie) (excluding national gendarmerie) ______________________________________________________________________ Germany 408 300 345 ______________________________________________________________________ Italy 325 287 315 ______________________________________________________________________ Luxembourg 0.8 0.8 - ______________________________________________________________________ Netherlands 74 70 80 ______________________________________________________________________ Portugal 58 35-40 75 ______________________________________________________________________ Spain 201 180 300 ______________________________________________________________________ United Kingdom 259 241 260 ______________________________________________________________________ Another factor that has to be taken into account is the aging of the population due to falling birth rates. This will have an impact on available reserves and on the recruitment of volunteers - two aspects which are important for the success of the planned reforms - due to the demographic deficits which will affect those reaching the age of recruitment, i.e. mainly 16-18 years. This partly justifies increasing the number of women in the armed forces to offset the shortage of men. What is important in this process is to avoid breaking the link between the citizen and national defence. Informing the public is an important and necessary factor in guaranteeing the participation of citizens in the defence effort in time of peace and parliaments and governments have a crucial role to play in this respect. IV. Defence, national service and public opinion -------------------------------------------- Be it in countries with compulsory military service or in those that have a professional army, the commitment of citizens towards defending national community values is primordial for strengthening their national defence capabilities. This can be done by two main means: recourse to national service (compulsory military and civil) and informing the public of what is at stake in defence questions, the activities of the armies and the relevant social and economic aspects. Here, each country acts in accordance with its own traditions and possibilities, but with slight adaptation certain experiences may be generalised. In the period of transition from a conscription army to a professional or largely professional army, it is essential to keep the public informed of what is at stake in defence questions so that all citizens feel they have an interest in what is happening. At the time that available financial resources are being reduced, it is important to go beyond the national framework and think about defence at European level. Here too citizens can be mobilised from different countries around the defence of joint values. This role of European defence is the responsibility of defence organisations, i.e. NATO or WEU, and, in the latter framework, its Assembly can and must play an information role towards the parliaments and public in the member countries. (a) Informing the public about defence and national service At a time when most information passes through audiovisual means, it is paradoxical to note that practically nothing is seen or heard about debates on defence and the armed forces and their role, not to speak of national service. Images and information dealing with defence are reduced to the presentation of technological warfare as in the Gulf war, or peace-keeping operations and their more or less violent aspects (former Yugoslavia, Somalia, Cambodia, etc.). In these operations, many European soldiers are seen, mainly regular troops or including a very high proportion of volunteers. This ultimately creates the dangerous illusion that all future hostilities can be managed by resorting to advanced technology weapons alone in operations conducted by the United Nations and that national defence or collective defence obligations can be fulfilled with a small number of well-trained men with modern equipment. How will a country defend itself if its duly prepared and equipped forces suffer a high level of casualties in fighting an enemy equally well prepared and equipped? There has been no discussion of any such eventuality. It therefore becomes very important to keep citizens regularly informed about every aspect of the problem of national defence, particularly in countries where national service is undergoing far-reaching changes. Several examples can be quoted of the action necessary for shaping a spirit of defence. (a) When conscription was terminated in the United Kingdom, the defence authorities launched far-reaching information campaigns to ensure that an adequate flow of manpower enlisted in the regular army that was being formed. The press and television also followed up this action which was also extended in the direction of schools and universities. Mobile information units were created to present the army throughout the territory by projecting films. The KAPE plan (keep the army in the public eye) was launched. The purpose was to organise the presentation of army detachments in their areas of recruitment, thus establishing a link between the publicity campaigns and the local recruiting teams; subsequently, periods of training in units were organised for young people who were thus able to establish true contact with military life. These measures did much to ensure enough enlistments to meet the needs of the United Kingdom armed forces (11). (b) In order to increase the number of volunteers for a longer period (eight years), the Portuguese authorities resorted to modern marketing techniques for disseminating televised spots and announcements in the press. The armed forces stress the practical advantages of long service; as soon as the first contacts have been established with the recruitment offices, candidaes are informed about the training and professional measures which will be available to them. They may have technical training in their units or in civilian professional training centres. Measures are proposed to improve cultural levels and a percentage of places available in universities (where places are limited) is reserved for volunteers. Enlisted men are provided with information about their military career prospects and also the facilities they will be accorded for employment afterwards. On returning to civilian life, their career as volunteers will give them access to preferential loans for purchasing accommodation or starting professional activities. This shows that military service also plays an important role in economic, social and cultural matters which makes it more attractive for citizens. (c) By developing the aspects of national service leading to civil activities (police, civil security, municipal service, firms), the French authorities are endeavouring to make service more interesting for young people and bring their training closer to matters of concern to them such as employment, security or the environment. At the same time, the development of these activities draws military personnel closer to the population insofar as they are required to help the community. The strictly military aspect is giving way in part to the social and economic aspect which has favourable repercussions on the public and recruits. In parallel, SIRPA (the French army information and public relations service) is making a considerable effort to inform the public by resorting to written and audiovisual means in addition to its work of presenting units, conferences and symposia organised by that service. The results obtained are not negligible and contribute much to maintaining a good image for the armed forces in French public opinion. This service regularly conducts polls and research on public opinion and defence, the results of which, although generally positive, are sometimes contradictory as can also be seen in other countries. (b) National service and the state of public opinion The spirit of defence links citizens with national defence. This is not a concept that is easy to measure because it varies according to age, social standing and the level of education. Opinion polls confirm these remarks and the same points of reference are found from one country to another. (i) France In May and June 1993, SIRPA ordered two polls on questions of defence policy and the image of the armies and national service. Each poll was conducted with a selection of 1 000 persons over 15 years of age. Regarding military service, 66% of those questioned considered it essential to ensure the defence of France (compared with 60% of favourable opinions in 1992). It should be noted, however, that among executives and intellectual professions, opinions are split at around 50% (48% consider that military service is not essential for the defence of France). Conversely, 75% of those questioned were in favour of a regular army (12) compared with 17% in favour of conscription, but 27% were in favour of maintaining the present system. Regarding the duration of military service (ten months), 59% considered it satisfactory but 58% considered that far too many people evaded service and 67% thought that during military service young people were too often inoccupied. It also emerged from the enquiries that information is good on the various possibilities of civil service, 95% of those questioned having said that they knew what it was all about. The principal aims of national service are set out in Table 4. One should note the growing importance of non-military activities in the framework of national service such as service for the collectivity and professional training for recruits. TABLE 4 Aims of national service in France (opinions) _____________________________________________________________________ To train soldiers to defend France 44% _____________________________________________________________________ To have young people take part in improving 43% public services _____________________________________________________________________ To contribute to the professional training of 35% recruits _____________________________________________________________________ To make young people aware of the need for 33% national defence _____________________________________________________________________ To allow young people from different social 17% classes to know each other better _____________________________________________________________________ Regarding general defence questions, 83% of those polled were prepared to fight for the defence of the territory, but only 29% believed that it was necessary to fight for a country with which France had contracted agreements of alliance. Possible use of armed forces is massively but unequally approved as shown in the following table. TABLE 5 Approval of the use of the armed forces _____________________________________________________________________ To obtain the release of French hostages 90% _____________________________________________________________________ To preserve French lives abroad 84% _____________________________________________________________________ To intervene in the framework of the United Nations 84% to obtain respect for international law _____________________________________________________________________ To destroy a terrorist hideout 83% _____________________________________________________________________ To afford assistance to a population in distress 81% _____________________________________________________________________ To restore peace in a region of the world 72% _____________________________________________________________________ To avert a case of major economic aggression 64% _____________________________________________________________________ To honour France's agreements with African countries 60% _____________________________________________________________________ The use of national servicemen in the event of armed intervention is still a sensitive subject. Only 13% of those questioned were in favour of sending recruits to any place of intervention whatsoever, compared with 32% against. 39% believed it was justifiable to send recruits to defend the frontiers of France and only 11% if the intervention was elsewhere in Europe. Nuclear weapons are considered by 65% to be essential for the defence of France but 60% are opposed to the resumption of nuclear tests. The plan to restructure the armies is still not known to the public and 90% of those questioned said they did not feel they were concerned. Regarding alliances, 44% are in favour of the alliance between the countries of Western Europe and the United States compared with 30% who advocate a European alliance independent of the United States; 69% of those questioned considered the creation of the Eurocorps to be a good thing. In conclusion, it should be emphasised that 68% of those questioned considered that military personnel should play a larger part in the public debate concerning defence policy. (ii) Italy In 1992, after a contingent of 12 000 men was sent to Sicily and Sardinia (13) to maintain public order, the Italian Defence Minister had an opinion poll taken on the use of armed forces for maintaining internal order. A sample of 1 072 persons over 18 years of age throughout Italy responded to this inquiry. In regard to the role of the armed forces in the nineties, answers gave a prominent place to the growing importance in public opinion of using armed forces for purposes of assistance in the event of internal problems in the country or in the framework of United Nations operations, be they humanitarian or peace-keeping missions. For many this result is due to the increasing role of the Italian army in such operations and public opinion thus gives its endorsement. TABLE 6 Role of the Italian armed forces in the nineties _____________________________________________________________________ Assistance in the event of national catastrophe 92.2% _____________________________________________________________________ Humanitarian aid in Italy and abroad 90.5% _____________________________________________________________________ Participation in United Nations peace-keeping 88.4% operations _____________________________________________________________________ Maintenance of public order 84.4% _____________________________________________________________________ Antiterrorist struggle 74.8% _____________________________________________________________________ To prevent secessionist attempts 70% _____________________________________________________________________ To control immigration 64.5% _____________________________________________________________________ Military operations under United Nations control 54.9% _____________________________________________________________________ Operations under NATO control in Europe 54.6% _____________________________________________________________________ Operations under NATO control outside Europe 39.4% _____________________________________________________________________ Regarding the defence of Europe, 33% of those questioned were in favour of NATO, followed closely by 30% in favour of a reformed NATO in which the European countries would have greater decision-making powers (European pillar). Only 5% of those questioned were in favour of a purely European defence and 21% were in favour of neutrality. Compulsory national service obtained 17% of favourable opinions compared with 32% in favour of a regular army and 49% for a mixed system. The presence of women in the armed forces was approved by 66% of those questioned (27.5% being against). (iii) Portugal In 1992 the National Defence Institute (NDI) (14) of Portugal conducted an inquiry into the state of public opinion and security and defence questions. The inquiry was restricted to a sample of 1 250 persons (continental Portugal, the Azores and Madeira) from 18 to 65 years of age. 60% of those questioned said they were very or fairly interested in national defence in general compared with 31% who showed little interest in this question. For those questioned, national defence meant first the defence of the territory (30%) and then the defence of Portuguese interests (29%). On the other hand, amongst the most important duties of the citizen, national defence took only third place (40%) after work (79.4%) and defence of the environment (60.7%). The defence of national territory was designated as the first cause for which one should fight (42.7%) followed by defence of democracy and freedom (35%) and equality between citizens (39.4%). Assistance to an allied country victim of aggression was mentioned only in 14% of the answers (19% for the Azores and 22% for the island of Madeira). It is interesting to note that only 24% of those questioned in continental Portugal considered that it was worth fighting to defend the Atlantic islands. The main task of the armed forces is the defence of national territory (70.9%) followed by assistance to populations in the event of emergency (70.7%). In peacetime, the armed forces must supervise forests to prevent fires (58.7%), co-operate in the preservation of the environment (41.3%) and assist old people (32.4%). On national service, opinions were divided, with 45.8% of favourable answers for compulsory military service compared with 51.9% for a wholly voluntary army. 76% favour the presence of women in the army. Regarding military alliances, NATO is still the first preference with 35.8% of the answers, followed by the idea of an alliance limited to European countries (21%). However, 83.7% are against the stationing of nuclear weapons on Portuguese territory, 52.9% against sending Portuguese troops abroad and 55% against the presence of foreign troops in Portugal. Participation in United Nations operations and other peace-keeping missions is reserved for East Timor (60%) and former Yugoslavia (43.9% for and 42.6% against). On European defence, the idea of a joint European armed defence force has the backing of 65.8% of those questioned in continental Portugal, 73.8% in the Azores and 82% in Madeira. Three main ideas emerge from these three studies: armed forces are necessary for national defence to meet aggression, and also for domestic purposes (environment, assistance to the populations, the struggle against banditism); compulsory military service is no longer a necessity for defence in the nineties; the idea of a European army or, failing this, the creation of multinational European military units seems to be an attractive prospect for many of the persons questioned. This latter aspect is not the prerogative only of countries resorting to national service; according to a recent poll of public opinion in the United Kingdom with regard to the European Community published in The Times (15) 55% of those questioned endorsed the idea of integrated European armed forces compared with only 37% for the idea of a joint European foreign policy.Politicians who pay heed to public opinion cannot not take these tendencies into account. It is nevertheless necessary to proceed step by step with restructuring and reforms, always ensuring that there is an indispensable margin of manoeuvre in the event of any significant deterioration in the geostrategic situation on frontiers, in the largest sense of the word, of Europe. In wishing to create more professional armed forces, one should not try to give them obligations such as education, professional training and police operations which are the duty of other state administrations. In the long term, the armed forces might be tempted to use much of their diminishing budgets to take on these tasks to the detriment of traditional duties such as defending national sovereignty, integrity of the territory and the protection of interests abroad. The parliaments required to vote on the reform of national service and the armed forces should take all these aspects into account and not lose sight of the long-term consequences of the decisions to be taken regarding the defence effort of a country. These consequences must be examined in the national framework and also in the light of experience in allied countries. The move from the national framework to the European framework is indeed the way to create an efficient European armed force to serve European interests and the responsibilities stemming from transatlantic commitments. The harmonisation of legislation on national service between allied countries would thus be the first step towards meeting present needs in terms of European defence and would facilitate the constitution, by allied countries, of multinational military units composed of regular or volunteer soldiers and also national servicemen. Moreover, the WEU Assembly had already drawn the Council's attention to this question in 1989 in paragraph 6 of Recommendation 469 (16) on the state of European security when it recommended that the Council urge member countries to recommend to NATO: "that through the member countries of WEU the following steps should be taken to give practical expression to the European pillar of defence: (a) encourage more multinational units ...; (b) take specific action to allow at an individual level the exchange of military personnel between countries to enhance their awareness of European co-operation, give them greater opportunity for travel and a more interesting work environment, and serve as a useful recruiting incentive at a time when the demographic levels are making recruiting most difficult." Today, more than ever, the question is still topical, be it merely because of the difficulties some member countries of WEU are having in terms of personnel fulfilling their multilateral commitments to WEU, NATO and the United Nations (17). In their national parliaments, the parliamentary members of the Assembly of WEU are able to establish the link between the national and European frameworks for the discussion of defence questions. At the same time they can help to enlighten public opinion on the European aspect of defence and make the public understand the importance of having a European defence system. Whether the defence of Europe is ensured by regular soldiers, conscripts or by a mixture of the two, it is essential for all citizens to feel they are concerned with the defence of their country and European interests. At present, it is national service that in most member countries of WEU makes the link between defence and the citizen. The dominating tendency is towards reform and other means of defence but this process must take full account of future requirements for an autonomous European defence. Thoughts must therefore be turned towards creating a European service for both military and civil purposes which would be the basis for the formation of true European armed forces. There the defence of Europe would find its link with the citizens it has the task of protecting, provided it is possible to avoid the stumbling-blocks of inequality and lack of adaptation to today's realities in defence questions which are darkening the image of national service in many countries. Defence is a concept in permanent evolution which must adapt itself to society in order to improve its protection. To become reality, European defence must take account of this need to become more than a simple institutional framework and to respond to the expectations of those who are committed to building the Europe of defence. A condition for the success of this process is to make Europeans aware of the problems of defending their values and their joint space. Here, WEU and its Assembly have a broad area of action to foster a concerted approach by states and to inform the public of what is at stake in defending Europe. Europe is an evolving reality and its defence must become a point of reference on the same footing as the defence of national territory and interests, provided the governments and national parliaments shoulder their European responsibilities. The defence of Europe must not be just the sum of national defence capabilities: it must be planned and built up as a clearly defined whole in which national interests find protection and security. (1)1. Adopted unanimously by the committee. (2) 2. Members of the committee: Mr. Tummers (Chairman); Mrs. Fischer, Sir John Hunt (Vice-Chairmen); MM. Amaral, Birraux, Boucheron, Buehler, Caldoro, Colombo (Alternate: Visibelli), Decagny, Sir Anthony Durant Mrs. Err, Mr. Eversdijk, Ghesquiere, Dr. Godman, Mr. Gouteyron, Sir Russell Johnston, MM. Kempinaire, Lopez Henares, Martins, Pfuhl, Reimann, Rodota (Alternate: Pizzo), Tabladini (Alternate: Trabacchini), N..., N... (3) 1. Document 1338, Defence Committee - Rapporteur: Mr. De Decker. (4) 2. Luxembourg does not have national service, the armed forces are composed solely of volunteers. (5) 3. Document 1338, Defence Committee; supplementary draft recommendation - Rapporteur: Mr. De Decker. (6) 4. CFE-1 and CFE-1 A. (7) 5. These basic laws on national service have subsequently been amended to take into account various changes concerning duration and conditions of service but they are still in application. (8) 6. Application of the laws on the militia will be suspended with effect from 1994. (9) 7. To which will be added the forces of the national gendarmerie to give a total of some 370 000. (10) 8. The Military Balance, 1993-1994. (11) 9. Recruitment was also encouraged by various material and social measures for enlisted men which allowed the reform to be successful. (12) 10. This option obtained a majority of favourable opinions in all categories of persons questioned. (13) 11. Operations Forza Paris and Vespri Siciliani in July 1992. (14) 12. An institution depending on the Defence Ministry. (15) 13. MORI poll, The Times, 28th October 1993. (16) 14. Document 1183, Defence Committee - Rapporteur: Mr. Speed. (17) 15. The debates about sending a NATO ground force to former Yugoslavia to monitor the application of the Geneva peace agreements clearly illustrate the limits confronting European countries members of the alliance. ------- A French version of this report may be obtained upon request. 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