Professional Soldiers and Politics: A Case of Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This article evaluates the influence of the officer corps of the Central and Eastern European militaries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia) using four of Huntington's indicators. The author argues that the corporate identity and group affiliation of the professional corps have declined, the economic and human sources subjected to the authority of professional soldiers have diminished, the hierarchical interpenetration of officers and other groups has changed substantially, and the prestige of the officer corps is defined by many new factors. Nevertheless, he states that professional soldiers are still involved in politics, albeit the methods of involvement are different from those under communist rule, and suggests that the causes of this situation lie on both the civilian and the military sides. He recognizes five basic patterns that draw professional soldiers into politics: perception of soldiers or former soldiers as the best and only experts on security matters and their appointments to high political posts: close cooperation with nationalistic organizations; continuing links to newly reformed post-communist parties; unclear division of responsibilities in constitutional and legislative frameworks, and deteriorating social and living conditions. He also points to the rift between the older and younger generations of professional soldiers and the differences in their political involvements.