NATO Enlargement and Democratic Control of the Armed Forces: The Experience ofPoland and Implications for Neighboring Partnership for Peace Countries

摘要

The collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the end of global confrontation and thesubsequent disintegration of the Soviet Union brought about a real opportunity for European unification and transatlantic security. Central and East European countries are seeking to join NATO and provide increased stability, peace, and security for all without creating new dividing lines. To join NATO, all Central and East European countries need to accomplish democratic transformation especially in the system of civil-military relations. Democratic civilian control of the military is one of the main prerequisites for Central and East European states to qualify for inclusion in NATO. By admitting new members, NATO will make itself better able to address Europe's new security challenges. Such a broad concept of security embracing political, economic and defense factors can be the basis for the new security architecture which must be built through a process of integration and cooperation among the partners.