Civilianise ESDP

by | Feb 2, 2009


Earlier in the week, Charlie talked about the Tories’ weakness on foreign and defense policy. In many ways, he gave voice to a view felt across the British foreign and defence community. That the Tories do not have a serious and detailed set of national security policies that can be turned into government action. The contrast to the Obama administration is stark. The Democratic President has been able to populate his administration with America’s finest foreign policy thinkers, all of whom have thought deeply about what a Democratic foreign policy should look like.

The Tories are not the only ones blame for the dearth of policy thinking. The British system of government militates against party-based subject-mater expertise. Parties are meant to develop the broad strokes of ideas, which will then be developed and implemented by officials if they enter government. It is therefore very difficult for the Opposition to attract experienced foreign policy thinkers. The pay is low and the rewards are not as attractive as in the U.S. The most a future British Prime Minister can offer is junior ministerial portfolio, working to a senior politician whose background may not be well-suited for a security-related job.

But one issue can be parked at the Tories’ door. Having canvassed a wide section of the London-based foreign policy community, the one issue that keeps coming up time and again is the Tories’ euro-scepticism. As one senior (and decidedly euro-sceptic) thinker told me: “The Tories are rowing back on the pragmatic NATO-EU policy that Malcolm Rifkind developed when he was Defence Secretary.” A widely-respected senior military commander told me only two days ago: “It’s as if a veil descends across their faces when Europe comes up. They don’t even want to engage. But this is not about a European army; it’s about being able to work with allies.”

This policy may play well to the Conservative base and parts of the press. There will certainly be plenty of people who will applaud such policies.

But nobody wants a European army, not even the French (if you think they do, you have probably not discussed the issue with French policy-makers). The point is different. Britain needs to work with allies in NATO and the EU to forge new security policies to counter new and old threats. That is certainly going to be what the new U.S administration wants. To start off by being so dismissive of everything European will not be helpful. Instead the Tories should develop a European security concept that does not cross their (rightly) anti-federal red-lines, but opens up room for negotiation.

Here is how. Turn ESDP into a civilian effort. From Iraq to Afghanistan it is clear that Britain and NATO need more civilian expertise. NATO will never be allowed to “go civilian” by France, Italy and Germany (as NATO decisions are by consensus). So let ESDP become the vehicle to deliver the much-needed civilian effect – the lawyers, judges, engineers etc. that are needed to engage in counter-insurgency operations. The current, small EU military missions in the Balkans and Chad can remain, but the EU should not deploy any more of these. Instead, the Tories should pledge support for hiring civilian experts and setting up the necessary bureaucratic arrangements for ESDP to get these civilian experts to work alongside NATO’s soldiers and the UN. 

That way, the Tories can show (future allies) they are willing to deliver some pragmatic EU policies, avoid duplication with NATO and provide much-needed assistance in places like Afghanistan.

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