Welcome to the European office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Our activities aim at fostering dialogue on European politics, democracy and human rights.
An der Universität Sciences Po in Paris veranstaltete die Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit gemeinsam mit internationalen Studenten eine Diskussion zur Zukunft der europäischen Verteidigungspolitik. Es war gleichzeitig das erste Zusammentreffen der FDP mit Emmanuel Macrons Partei „La République en Marche“ auf einer öffentlichen Bühne. Warum die Zukunft der europäischen Verteidigungspolitik ein Flugzeug und ein etwas anderes Erasmus-Programm sein könnte.
The Brussels office of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom together with the European Organisation of Military Associations (EUROMIL) organized the second event of the tripartite series „Overcoming Obstacles on the Way to European Army“. This public debate pursued the question, if and how democratic control mechanisms over armed forces could be transferred from the national to the European level.
Placing armed forces under democratic control is one of the major achievements of Western democracies in the last century. Parliamentary oversight mechanisms were established with the aim to hold armed forces democratically accountable towards state and society and make sure that their deployment is controlled by elected authorities.
Every national military has its unique culture. This is being expressed in terms of citizen’s and employee’s rights of the individual soldier, the steepness of hierarchy, focus of training, exercise of leadership and the experience of combat, just to name a few.
In a joint series with the European Liberal Forum, FNF Europe has gathered liberal voices on the topic of European Security and Defence. This time President of the ALDE Party and MEP Hans van Baalen has given us an exclusive outlook on challenges and developments to watch out for in 2017.
Estonian ALDE MEP Urmas Paet, Rapporteur of the European Defence Union and ALDE Party President Hans van Baalen’s debated at our reoccurring ‘Liberal Breakfast’ event series about the need for an updated European defence policy and where it is heading to as whole.
The Minsk II agreement is unlikely to deliver the desired results. While Ukraine is shaken by Russian aggression imposed on its territory, its own difficulties with unstable government, corruption and hollowing out of the State also stand in the way of security and stability. In the context of the Russian annexation of Crimea and the de facto occupation of the Donbass Region, Ukraine and the EU have to reconsider if they have so far given the right answers. Otherwise, Ukraine’s future development will considerably be determined by the Kremlin. Ukraine desperately needs to stabilise and guarantee security, for which a reform of its national defense is urgently needed. A democratically controlled, defensively aligned army and reliable security structures are a prerequisite in the attempt to achieve a stable state.
