The evolution of civil-military relations in FRY/the state union of Serbia and Montenegro

Abstract

Theoretical speculations and researches on the relations between the civil and the military sectors of society, as well as, between the political and military decision-makers, in a narrow sense, almost regularly appeared as a consequence of the demand of 'real reality'. Actually, there are few examples of such stipulation of theoretic thinking with concrete reality. On the other hand, there are few subjects of research overlapping to such an extent with other phenomenon, relations, processes and situations, as is the case of the military factor: the army represents, almost without exception, the concise expression of one society's condition and relations. Therefore, elaboration of this topic, which assumes prior "sociologically broad" information about society, whose civil-military relations reached a level of democratic civil control over the army and the police, as well as a reform pattern of the security sector are taken under consideration. The "case" of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia/ the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro is sui generis in full meaning of this term; starting from the middle of the 20th century, the former "second Yugosavia" created very unusual social relations, till civil wars in 1990s, which delayed the so-called transition processes that were already taking place in East and Southeast Europe for more than a decade. Therefore, for a thorough comprehension of the evolution of civil-military relations in Serbia and Montenegro, is especially important to research roots and reasons, which apparently have an influence on today's situation. Using this approach, with respect to concrete particularities it would be possible to evaluate the actual condition, in order to integrate our society into existing broader security and economic structures through necessary and inevitable changes. In the case of Serbia and Montenegro, the almost fully isolated evolution of civil-military relations in the past decade must be pointed out in relation to changes which in Western liberal democratic societies led to a redefinition of system and functions of modern security. To be clearer, it is related to a way of thinking and to the overall security culture connected to the pre-modern, partially modern, versus the forthcoming postmodern approach. This naturally should not question the necessity of homogenization and adjustment of Southeast European countries' existing national security systems in order torespond successfully to new security challenges and threats for practical rather than theoretical needs. On the contrary! The rise of so called complex terrorism1 - a serious enough threat, along with all the old and the new security challenges and threats, with its effects on national, collective and global levels made the issue even more deserving of a special research focus.