With Defence Education For An Efficient Reservist System

One of the timely reasons for the discussion was that last year there was considerable development in this field: upon the request of a Parliament Resolution, the Ministry of Defence compiled a report on the modernization and reorganization of the voluntary reservist system. The list of tasks also included a number of recommendations that are beyond the responsibility and competence of the Ministry of Defence and concern the civilian sphere, as regards strengthening the position of employers and employees, voluntary reservist service, and the protection of employees.

Following the welcome speech delivered by Mr Ferenc Kuti, the organizer and moderator of the roundtable discussion, MP and reserve major Dr. István Simicskó emphasized: it is very important to have debates about this question even in today’s over-politicized world. ‘Military security is an issue that concerns everyone, but it is the state that has to guarantee it in the first place. This is a principle that will never lose its relevance and it is also valid in the globalizing world,’ said the Christian Democrat chairman of the National Security Committee. ‘The defence of universal values, humankind, the Hungarian people and the country is the duty of the state. Should someone choose to solve the occurring tasks with paramilitary organizations, private armies, that would lead to the dismantling of the state, to anarchy,’ said István Simicskó, also highlighting that in addition to that, the defence of the country is, naturally, a moral and patriotic obligation for all, and cited the Defence Act which also covers the service provided by citizens personally, as one of the pillars of national defence. ‘Today there is no possibility to do that on a voluntary basis, only as a professional or a contractual soldier,’ pointed out the opposition politician in the opinion of whom the active participation of citizens can be promoted only by establishing conscious and target-oriented foundations. ‘Forming the opinion of society and the importance of patriotic education cannot be stressed enough. It is not career considerations that are the most important here but the intellectual concept of defending the homeland,’ underlined István Simicskó.

After this, the politician moved on to the topic of reservist system development. ‘The connection between the society, the nation and the Hungarian Defence Forces can be fully extended by strengthening the reservist system,’ he said, underlining that this would also lead to stronger civil control within the military. ‘The development of interest mechanisms towards the direction of employers is a key point,’ emphasized István Simicskó, who regards the adoption of Parliament Resolution 80/2008 on the review of the current regulations an important milestone. The deadline for this is 31 December 2011.

Retired Colonel Dr. András Kladek also agreed that the adoption of the resolution in question is a step into the right direction, at the same time he pointed out: this also means that practically no substantive change can be expected until 2012 for in the current economic situation the defence portfolio has to solve many other problems as well. From the arguments supporting the reservist system he emphasized that reservists can also be relied on in times of peace, for instance in case of a flood. ‘In 2006, when the Tisza overflowed, 7,000 troops were striving at the embankments, from university professors to high-ranking officers,’ the chief advisor of the National Communications Authority reminded the audience, pointing out that in such situations the reservists could take a considerable load off the defence forces. ‘Moreover, certain military posts could also be filled by reservists, and let me give an example: drivers and combat vehicle drivers, since the military have not enough personnel to fill all the positions in this field,’ he reckoned.

András Kladek also emphasized the importance of elaborating a support program for employers, because the reservist system could not operate without this. ‘If we do not have such a program in place, employers are not able and not even willing to arrange for the replacement of employees during the period they are fulfilling their reservist obligations in exercises and trainings. It is extremely important to guarantee the protection of reservists’ jobs by legal means, and on the other side, to develop the right means of compensation for employers. And it is obvious that we cannot forget about the interest representation support system developed for the parties with adverse interests, the institutionalized form of the conciliation of interests, either,’ he said. According to András Kladek the proper motivation of reservists has to materialize in financial and non-financial terms alike. ‘And likewise, the role of the public is is also fundamental, for if the people are not aware of the reservist service, they will not sign up,’ he said, and finally gave an example to illustrate that amid the economic crisis, there is still an aspect that must not be ignored: the potential cost of a reservist is much less than that of a professional or contractual soldier.

Presidential advisor and retired Border Guard Colonel Dr. Tibor Tollár said that in his opinion, it is not debated in Hungary, fortunately, that the defence of the country is the duty of the state in the first place, the real questions to be decided are the ways how it is done, such as the degrees, directions, periods. ‘I think once these are clarified, it will be easier to harmonize the demands of the resource side with the foundations,’ said the expert, according to whom it is obvious that the question of how these financial claims can be synchronized is also crucial. ‘From this standpoint I do not envy those who sign off the budget since it is not easy at all to decide if the available financial resources are spent on the development of schools, hospitals, or perhaps internal security, or on increasing the number of military personnel,’ said Tibor Tollár, who also believes that changing the attitude of society towards reservist service is just as important. ‘I am also aware of the fact that we are talking about time-consuming processes. In the countries that operate classical reservist systems there are serious social traditions behind these schemes, which cannot be said about Hungary: here it is a novelty for both the employee and the employer side,’ he pointed out, and emphasized again: first an agreement has to be reached in the principal issues, and once it is done, it will clarify relatively simply what sort of resources are required for the development of an efficient system.

On behalf of the Ministry for National Development and Economy Dr. Mihály Medveczky underlined: although we often forget about it, the human resource reserves are also considered the economic reserves, the mobilizable economic resources of a given country. ‘As regards the whole topic, it can be said that it requires quite difficult coordination processes from the administration, for instance in the field of elaborating an efficient program for employers,’ the chief advisor of the portfolio said. He also emphasized that strengthening the system of reservists must not be confused with replacing the professional personnel, but indeed, there are areas where the employment of reservists would suffice. In his opinion other positions in other areas of defence administration, such as the county defence committees, could also be filled by reservist personnel. Mihály Medveczky also stressed the importance of communications.