IPN News Agency presents a picture of the year in different areas in the view of governmental authorities and independent experts. “2018: how it was and how it wasn’t!?” No.2: Defense
Program “Professional Army 2018-2021” – a premiere
Secretary general of state at the Ministry of Defense Radu Burduja said the institution in 2018 endeavored to promote and implement security and defense policies and considers this objective was fully achieved. The major efforts this year were aimed at improving the legal framework and adjusting the policy documents on defense and at creating an integrated mechanism for planning the national defense. Among the objectives were also the gradual professionalization of the National Army and ensuring of the necessary level of training for fulfilling the set tasks; development of cooperation with the European Union and continuation of cooperation with NATO; extension of Moldova’s contribution to ensuring peace and international security.
In 2018, the process of reforming, maintaining and developing the military capabilities of the National Army continued and this process was ensured also by approving the most important strategic documents, namely: the National Defense Strategy, the Military Strategy and the Program “Professional Army 2018-2021”. The last document that is a premiere for the Republic of Moldova envisions the replacement of the mandatory military service with the service of professional service members whose number increased to 300 this year. The program centers especially on the importance and role of service members in the national defense system and the structural reform of the National Army.
Among the accomplishments this year, Radu Burduja mentioned the purchase of armament and munitions for the first time, reconditioning of military units of transport, execution of building and renovation works on the military and social infrastructure of military units. There were renovated the cooking facilities and sports complex of military camp No. 142 and built an annex to the barrack of the military unit based in Cahul town.
The social protection of the service members employed on contract increased considerably this year. In accordance with Law No. 148/2017, there were launched public-private partnerships through which 335 families will be provided with dwellings by the end of 2018. Four families of service members benefitted from the “First House” Program, while almost 100 service members already receive monthly allowances for paying rent for housing. Also, the first military attaché of Moldova was assigned to work in the U.S., responsible for ensuring of efficient cooperation between the defense bodies of the two countries and identification of new opportunities for developing and improving the partnership between the National Army of the Republic of Moldova and the Armed Forces of the U.S.
In accordance with the commitment assumed under the framework agreement signed by Moldova and the European Union, on Moldova’s participation in EU crisis management operations, the Ministry of Defense assigned two service members of the National Army to serve on the EU’s mission in Sahel, Mali, as of October 8, 2018.
Budget for Defense – insufficient
Radu Burduja said the Ministry of Defense took all the measures to carry out the set tasks. However, the implementation of the military reform greatly depends on the allocated financial resources and the approval of the conceptual documents for conducting the whole defense planning process.
“I would like to note that in the context of the professionalization of the National Army, we have yet to work to change the method of addressing and solving problems in the army. An army that is fully based on professional service members envisions the change of the mentality of leaders and commanders. The development partners that have a richer experience in the field told us about this repeatedly. We work continuously and I’m sure that by the gradual replacement of conscript soldiers with service members employed on contact we will manage to change the service members’ way of thinking and the perception of the military service that exists in society,” said the secretary general of state.
Also, owing to the approval with delay of the strategic documents on which the defense sector reform is based, the working out of the plan for developing the defense capabilities in the long run was postponed and the plan is to be designed at the end of 2019.
The initiatives, projects and programs that produce palpable results and that strengthen and develop the defense capacities should continue. Thus, the Ministry of Defense’s defense policy will be aimed at increasing the number of professional service members by about 1,000 persons and at establishing public-private partnerships for developing the sites owned in Balti and Chisinau and fully solve the housing problem of service members. Military equipment will continue to be bought and the infrastructure will be modernized, the plan for developing the defense capabilities in the long run will be finalized, the cyber incident response center (MAFCERT) will be developed, etc.
National Security Strategy hasn’t been yet approved
Expert of the Institute for Development and Social Initiative “Viitorul” Rosian Vasiloi said the general impression left by the defense sector in 2018 does not make him optimistic. The approval of the policy documents in the field, namely the National Defense Strategy and the plan for action for implementing the Strategy for 2018-2022 and of the Military Strategy and the plan of action, even if with delay, is evidently a positive element. The National Security Strategy hasn’t been yet approved, but this should have been agreed after the tragic events in Ukraine of 2014. The draft of this very important policy document was designed by a group of experts of national institutions with the support of civil society organizations and foreign partners in 2015-2016. This was adjusted to the current strategy, but is not yet a viable document.
The expert said President Igor Dodon in June 2017 withdrew the strategic document, arguing that this does not correspond to the substantial changes that take place at national, regional and international levels by a message published on social networking sites. By the same message, Igor Dodon asked to work out a new strategy that would meet the national interests, the neutrality status, the statehood strengthening of and country modernization objectives, arguing the initiation of the process of working out the national security strategy is an exclusive prerogative of the President. By his decree, Igor Dodon constituted a new commission for drafting the National Security Strategy of the Republic of Moldova, which was to present the document for approval at the end of 2018. “No one knows what happens to this document and how the commission works. It is yet certain that despite the major security changes at regional and national levels, we live with a National Security Strategy adopted by Parliament in 2011,” stated the expert.
Security level matches investment level
At the same time, the expert ascertained the financing of the security and defense sectors plays a major role. Currently, the defense sector is underfinanced and represents 0.4% of the GDP, which is below the European average for this sector (1.4% of the GDP). “For comparison, in the same period the separatist regime in Tiraspol approved the “state budget” that envisions the allocation of 1.4% of the separatist region’s ”GDP” to defense, which is the European average for this sector”.
The situation is different as regards the financing of the internal affairs sector of Moldova. “According to our analyses, Parliament in 2018 rectified the budget and allocated another 250 million lei to the Ministry of the Interior. As a result, the financing for public order rose to the huge figure of 5.9 billion lei. If we compare the figures, we see that the budget costs for public order in 2009 – 2014 rose by a total of 43%, from 1.5 billion lei in 2009 to 2.17 billion lei in 2014, an increase of about 120 million a year. At the same time, Parliament increased the state budget spending for public order 2.4 times, from 2.17 billion lei in 2014 to 5.25 billion lei in 2018, which is a growth of 3.077 billion lei in absolute value or 6.4 times more than in the previous period. A functionary of the current government, whom I will not name, said: “The current security level matches the investment level,” stated the expert.
According to Rosian Vasiloi, the aforementioned figures point to particular “security” for the rulers to be able to protect themselves from the own people, instead of really investing in security and defense at conceptual level and implementing the key directions. “These budgetary data show that a police state, against the own citizens, was actually built in the Republic of Moldova. In conclusion, we can say that the National Defense is Moldova’s “Cinderella” at a time when the security risks are very big,” he said.
Reconceptualization of view on future of Defense
Among the achievements, Rosian Vasiloi noted that fact that Moldova switched over to the second stage of implementing the assistance package Defense Capacity Building Initiative – DCBI and to the development of the defense capacity of the Republic of Moldova, approving the aforementioned strategic documents – the National Defense Strategy and the Military Strategy. The military training activities performed by the Ministry of Defense cannot be overlooked. Among these are the participation in military exercises in Moldova and abroad. “We advanced a lot in this regard, but we must extend these activities multidimensionally. This will enable to develop the necessary capacities for employing professional service members. A problem should be yet mentioned here, namely the role of the political elites in the Republic of Moldova, because the financing for the defense sector depends on these. It is certain that the political elites of Moldova during the almost 28 years of independence lacked a clear view on how to develop the National Army and the defense sector. Despite the statements and policy documents approved during these years, the situation hasn’t improved as I personally expected.”
According to the expert, the view on the future of the defense sector should be re-conceptualized as we still live with stereotypes according to which the National Army is responsible for the national defense. “This is wrong and the task of all the state institutions, civil society organizations and each citizen is to help change this damaging paradigm. Evidently, the government should have a say in this regard. I’m not sure the current government is able to do it, but it is definite that no one except us, those form the Republic of Moldova, will do it. This approach created impediments in the complete utilization of the assistance provided by the foreign partners, in particular NATO and other credible partners such as the allied states and the neighboring states, Ukraine and Romania.”
Elena Nistor, IPN
Other materials of the campaign “2018: how it was and how it wasn’t!?”:
Agriculture, regional development and enviroment
