PUBLIC AWARENESS

NATO & DEFENCE ISSUES

NOT ABOUT…

• Process

• Procedures

• Technical elements

• Communication and campaign „tricks”

ABOUT CHALLENGES!

• Substantive issues!• Definition issues

– What is NATO?– What is security?– What is a national interest?– What is the role and function of the military?

• „Philosophical” issues– Public nature of security and defence policy– Populism– Subjective vs. objective

WHAT IS NATO?

• Image vs. Reality– Transforming identity– Cold War identity vs. Stability provider– Collective defence vs. Protection of interests

• Interests? Values?– Framework for US interests?– Values! – return to values– Whose values? - perceived values of Hungary

• Elite club– How do we define elite? – Everything we always wanted to

be but couldn’t…

WHAT IS NATO?

• NATO image vs. EU image– CEE approach to integration institutions –

boxes• Council of Europe – democracy• OECD – market economy• NATO security (defence, military)• EU – well being – positive image!!

– Everybody wants to be European, nobody wants to be a hawk

WHAT IS SECURITY?

• Outdated concepts– WW2 – WW3– Territorial defence– National framework

• Reality– No direct military threat (YU crisis!)– Multidimensional security challenges– Not territorial– Security & challenges – international framework

• How to change notion of security?

NATIONAL INTEREST?

• Integration vs. Sovereignty– Are we less or more sovereign through integration?

• Involvement in other nations’ conflicts– Is any conflict too distant?– Are there any geographical limits of interests?– Are we becoming a global player?

• If yes, how do we sell it?

• International framework vs. „none of our business…”– How to make the notion of national interests

multidimensional?

ROLE & FUNCTION OF MILITARY?

• Protection of…– Independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity

• No one intends to hurt…

– National interests• Whose national interests?• What national interests?• No direct link between military involvement & foreign

investment, tourism, well being, etc.

• Costs of military membership• Effectiveness vs. Price• Can we afford? Do we wish to afford?• Do you support Hungary’s NATO membership if…?

PUBLIC NATURE OF SECURITY POLICY

• Public policy vs. Elite policy– Becoming more and more public– Security threats directly concern public safety

• Terrorism, illegal migration, illegal trade, organised crime, etc.

• Post-modern society – information society– The public will have information

• What kind? How to influence? Is any information „objective”? Is manipulation allowed? Does it ever backfire?

– CNN-effect• Uncontrollable effects on any public campaign

• Gov’t funding for different opinion groups?

POPULISM

• Communication strategy without populism?– Tools?

• „Defence is an issue for the whole nation!”– What does this mean?

• No populism, extremism, party interests, short term gov’t interests are allowed!

• BUT!!– It is just a natural field for such intrusions.

• Not in Hungary, but almost everywhere else…

• DANGER!! PITFALL!!

SUBJECTIVE vs. OBJECTIVE

• Transatlantic integration– PRO – rational (objective) arguments– CON – subjectiove (emotional) arguments

• Neutrality – AT, YU, 1956• Foreign troops, great powers – USSR, USA

• How to make rational arguments „catchy”?– Do we need to?– Use subjective arguments in the PRO campaign

• Values, elite club, security• Even if these arguments are sometimes debatable• Do not overcomplicate!

REFERENDUM?

• Last resort– Legitimacy– Political, legal, moral– Headache

• Long term investment– Catalyst of transformation – Notion of security– Double edged!

CONCLUSIONS?

• Any at all?• NATO should not be a single issue

• What is the nature of our security?• What are the best long term measures to protect national interests?• Transformation of the notion of security – society, political elite

• Old NATO? New NATO?• Mixed and competing images

• Find the right media• Teachers, journalists, local governments• Must be a positive story