Page 33 - Cormorant Issue 20 2017

The second area that we had failed to appreciate was that Romania never intends to be under the yoke of the Russians again and would make deals and alliances to ensure that could not occur. The national depth of emotion tied to enslavement by communism is one alien to most of us who sat through SRAs on NATO expansionism. The Romanian view is that a sovereign nation has the right to determine what is
in its own best interests; Romania chooses NATO. The strength of this view was palpable throughout the defence and security lectures. Joining the
alliance was a dif cult path to follow, especially redesigning the military, but is one to be proud
of. Their membership of NATO is founded on an understanding that they “must pay their dues”. Contributing to NATO operations, assuming regional responsibilities and achieving the totemic 2% of
GDP in 2017 are all ways to achieve this. Romania’s end state is the binding of NATO to the defence of Romania, whether to deter Russia or enact Article 5. With cross party political consensus to this increase in defence spending, the wider contribution to NATO and with the anti-Russian pro-western stance, Romania is a committed NATO member.
Contrary to the Farage espoused view of Romania, the efforts to break the shackles of communism have been signi cant but the results even more impressive and as one presenter stated “freedom is inherent in every person, democracy is not; it has to be built.”
In deposing Ceausescu, the subsequent violence
Firepower demonstration at the armoured school
left a cultural scar that has not fully healed nor has public reconciliation occurred, but an economic and social revolution followed. A quarter of a century later Romania has the fastest economic growth in the EU and has developed several modern niche capabilities most noticeably in IT. This has been an impressive rebalancing from a command economy to one that is EU compliant. Strong support for the EU and what it provides was apparent but this was balanced by it not being accepted as the panacea; as always the Romanians balanced their use of institutions with a healthy dose of realism. Hardly the broken country depicted by Farage.
In this year of education at the Defence Academy,
it is doubtful that any other activity will expose our cohort to such a differing viewpoint from those found in the comfortable con nes of the college to that found in the regions we learn about. The contrast
is glaring; this RSE challenged and changed views, this can only be viable education in attempting to understand a committed member of our principal defence alliance.
To dispel any further misunderstandings, Bucharest
is a fantastic night out - a view proven on all three runs ashore in the capital. There is something
for everyone, from matelot to crab, whether your preference is the ballet or achieving clip state Alpha in an R&B club.
“
A quarter of a
century later Romania has the
fastest economic growth in the EU... ◆◆◆
PAGE 31
Syndicate A6 replete with moustaches, beneath the WWII liberation memorial outside the national Military Academy
Clip State Alpha – 10 mins before the bus due to leave for the nal
day