Editorial
In the last days of August 2013, to nearly everyone’s surprise, the British Parliament voted against military action in Syria. Prime Minister David Cameron had chosen to consult Parliament, although under no legal obligation to do so. By rejecting the government motion the House of Commons has once again made history: this vote has far-reaching political repercussions at both national and international level. The US President, although also not legally obliged to do so, had no hesitation in announcing his intention to seek congressional approval for military strikes against Syria. France’s President is alone in not wishing to share those decision-making powers with Parliamentarians. France tried to demonstrate that it, and no longer the United Kingdom, is the really reliable regional power in Europe, although so far there has been no vote in the US Congress and no US military strikes for France to participate in. Instead, US-Russian negotiations on the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons got off to a smooth and rapid start- without France, enabling Moscow to break its political isolation.
Humanitarian intervention in the future Does this House of Commons vote mark the beginning of the end of humanitarian intervention? I do not think so, but the interventionist rhetoric that we have heard so much these last 20 years appears to be weakening, due to a lack of convincing results and to the excessive damage to both intervening forces and local populations, creating internal and societal problems. The lesson that Governments have finally learnt is that they must seek the backing of their public opinion and parliaments if they wish to send their soldiers to distant wars whose vital relevance for their home country or even continent is not immediately perceptible to the public at large.
However, as societies become increasingly unconvinced that you can kill your way to peace, it will no longer be sufficient for governments to shelter behind their populations and parliaments. They will need to involve parliaments at the Hartmut Bühl earliest stage in the decision-making process, a habit that in most cases will strengthen governments. “The UK vote was a tactical political manoeuvre that went wrong, but may well be a sign for the future,” as David Chuter wrote to me in a private letter as we were discussing his article in this magazine (page 27), and he continued, “I am convinced that any future operation from now on will have to be voted by Parliament as well”.
Photo: © Hofmann, Adelsheim
Right or wrong…but my country
Seeking consent This new attitude will have an influence on the decision-making process with regard to the Common Security and Defence Policy. It could strengthen the advisory role of the European Parliament, although it will be a long while before the EP exercises genuine scrutiny. After 20 years of constant pressure on EU member states to facilitate the use of military force and to deploy troops without a vote by Parliament, this trend may now be going into reverse. Germany’s particular solution of a “parliamentary army” may be not be applicable everywhere, but to involve citizens through their parliamentary representatives one way or another in the decision to engage in military operations is part and parcel of democratic government.
Hartmut Bühl, Editor-in-Chief
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Publisher and Editor-in-Chief: Hartmut Bühl, Brussels Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Nannette Cazaubon, Paris; E-Mail: nannette.b@gmx.net Publishing House: ProPress Verlagsgesellschaft mbH President ProPress Publishing Group: R. Uwe Proll Layout: SpreeService- und Beratungsgesellschaft mbH, Berlin Print: Heider Druck GmbH, Bergisch Gladbach The European − Security and Defence Union Magazine is published by the ProPress Publishing Group. The ProPress Publishing Group is the organizer of the congress on European Security and Defence (Berlin Security Conference), the European Police Congress and the European Congress on Disaster Management. For further information about the magazine and the congresses please visit www.magazine-the-european.com Subscription: This magazine is published in Brussels and Berlin. The copy price is 16 Euro: 3 copies for one year: 42 Euro (EU subscription) 3 copies for one year: 66 Euro (International subscription) including postage and dispatch (3 issues) © 2013 by ProPress Publishing Group Bonn/Berlin ProPress Publishing Group is the holding of the trade mark BEHOERDEN SPIEGEL.
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