Neutralists of the 21st Century – The New Ecology
The Russian war in Ukraine has upended the order born after the Soviet implosion. Narrowing the space for the “non-aligned”. But if Sweden and Finland have decided to join NATO, other countries are looking for a way out
In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, NATO had 16 members. Today, after the recent accession of Sweden and Finland, 32 have been launched. The enlargement process, achieved largely thanks to the accession of the former communist countries, reached a critical level when the possibility arose that even the Ukraine joined the Atlantic Alliance. This triggered an “encirclement syndrome” that prompted Russia to choose a more aggressive political line, invading Crimea and annexing it in 2014 in a rigged referendum. But it was only the large-scale attack of 22 February that subverted the political order born following the fall of the three European communist federations (Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia and the USSR).
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led the vast majority of European political and cultural circles to further emphasize their Atlantic allegiance. Not only that, but in the six neutral countries of the European Union – Austria, Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Malta and Sweden – a broad debate has begun on the possibility of joining NATO to counter Russian expansionism. In fact, it was a debate that had already been going on for some time. In recent years, the EU and NATO have become increasingly closely interconnected, so belonging to the former without being “sucked” into the latter has become almost impossible. In 2018, for example, North Macedonia joined both bodies with a referendum that asked a single question. Faced with this situation, two neutral countries, Sweden and Finland, decided to join NATO. Some parties had asked for a referendum, but both governments rejected it fearing that the majority of citizens would express themselves against it.
Former Swiss president, socialist Micheline Calmy-Rey, proposes active neutrality, committed to promoting peace
In Austria, on the other hand, two conflicting positions emerged. An open letter was released last March in which 500 scholars asked that the country abandon the “permanent neutrality” sanctioned by the 1955 constitutional law to join the Atlantic Alliance. But on 5 July an appeal of the opposite sign was disclosed, which called for a return to full autonomy. According to the signatories (almost 50 thousand by now) the time has come to cancel certain ambiguous positions, such as joining the sanctions against Russia and the Partnership for Peace, a sort of “parking lot” for the countries that the United States wants to bring into Born. Also in favor of neutrality are Chancellor Karl Nehammer and President Alexander van den Bellen, re-elected in October. Finally, it should not be forgotten that in Austria the subject enjoys broad academic interest. One of the most active in this field is Heinz Gärtner, professor of political science at the University of Vienna. Organizer of the international conference “Friends with enemies: neutrality and non-alignment then and now” (Vienna, 2-3 March 2020), the scholar is one of the curators of Neutral beyond the cold: neutral states and the post-Cold War international system (Lexington Books, 2022), the first essay that seeks to define a neutralism appropriate to our times.
In Ireland the situation is less clear. A few days after the invasion of February 22, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed his intention to review the neutrality of the green island: “I don’t think we are asking for NATO membership, but I think we will be more involved in European defence”. An ambiguous and naive position, given that European defense is closely linked to NATO. In July, then Defense Minister Simon Coveney, now Prime Minister, announced that by 2028 the maximum increase in military spending (from 1.1 to 1.5 billion) will be achieved. On 21 September, the Irish neutrality league was presented in Dublin, a federation that has founded various associations and pacifist political exponents. The organizers released a policy document “to protect and strengthen Ireland’s neutrality”.
Cyprus and Malta, both former British colonies, are the only EU countries that have been part of the Non-Aligned Movement. The first as a founding member, the second since 1973. Both left this body in 2004, when they joined the European Union. On Cyprus, divided in two since 1974 following the Turkish invasion, NATO membership is not a question on the agenda. But even if it did, it would meet with clear opposition from Turkey. Furthermore, many Cypriots are hostile to NATO, held responsible for the division of the island. At the time Turkey was already in NATO and the Alliance did nothing to prevent the invasion. The Constitution of Malta instead states that the island is officially neutral, adhering to a policy of “non-alignment and refusing to participate in any military alliance”. According to a government-commissioned poll, released two weeks before the Russian invasion, only 6% of respondents are against neutrality.
In short, in the Old Continent the space for neutrality seems to be shrinking but a hard core still resists. The same is seen in Switzerland, a neutral country par excellence. The socialist Micheline Calmy-Rey, former Foreign Minister and former President of the Confederation, published the book in 2021 Pour une neutralité active: de la Suisse to Europe (Efpl) where he proposes an active neutrality, no longer withdrawn into itself but committed to the promotion of peace. A modern and stimulating proposal that is not aimed only at Switzerland but at the whole of Europe. Therefore, remaining tied to the logic of neutrality does not mean remaining tied to the past. Neutral countries can have an important role to play, but on one condition: if community structures really want to function democratically, they must set aside the current centralist vision that erodes the neutrality of certain countries by forcibly absorbing them into the Euro-Atlantic structure.
Summary
Item name
21st century neutralists
Description
The Russian war in Ukraine has upended the order born after the Soviet implosion. Narrowing the space for the “non-aligned”. But if Sweden and Finland have decided to join NATO, other countries are looking for a way out
Author
Alessandro Michelucci
Publisher’s name
The New Ecology
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