The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, attended yesterday, Wednesday 4 December 2024, the works of the “2024 IDU Forum”, organized by the International Democracy Union (IDU), in Washington, the capital of the United States of America.
Mr. Dendias participated in the discussion of the first session, under the title: “The Future of Governance: International Security in an Age of Nationalism”.
The President of the International Republican Institute Dr. Dan Twining was the moderator of the session that was also joined by the former President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and the former Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison.
The Minister of National Defence, in his initial address, underlined the following:
“When I am usually addressing the Europeans, I am saying that we don’t have the luxury of being in the geographical position of Luxembourg, being safe all around. Sitting now in Washington DC, I think we all can appreciate that the war in Ukraine, and the war in the Middle East, we know it happens but they are very far away. It is not just the ocean dividing us. But if you see, for example, in the northeastern Greece, in the city of Alexandroupolis, which is a main NATO port in northeastern Greece, the distance to Odesa is just 500 kilometers. So, it is, I assume, like having a war somewhere between New York and Boston or somewhere there; and there is just slightly larger distance between us and Gaza and as in Lebanon. So that is what it is.
I have to say and I totally agree with the two previous speakers here, the last thing we can and we should do is agree on any kind of appeasement. Again, I am always saying that appeasement as a condition for peace was answered definitely in the most profound way in September 1 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland. So, for appeasement we know clearly what are the results.
What we have to agree all, and we are ready to do our duty – we, more frontline countries – is to support rules based on international order. To not accept change of orders by force. Not second to brutal force. Not accept terrorism as a way of changing in this world. Easier said than done. Yet again, I have to totally agree with the Republican Party here in the USA, this is the only recipe for peace, the only recipe for stability, the only recipe for having a strong economy which serves our people.”
The Greek Minister, answering a question regarding defence expenditure, underlined, among other things:
“There are some things that, to my eyes at least, look quite schizophrenic, and I am speaking about the European Union. What I am saying?
We are all advocating that we have to raise our defense better. In Greece we spend north of 3%, probably north of 3.5% from our national budget of defense. Why do we do that? Not just because we are a good ally in NATO but also because we face a threat from our neighbors, Turkey.
But, I come now to the European Union, the European Union says that all countries should raise defense spending and also some, like President Macron of France, advocate for an autonomous European presence in the defense sector. Others say complementary to NATO. Fine. But with larger capabilities.
Now comes the trick. Although the European Union advocates for more spending, they have such fiscal rules that even if you slightly exceed your fiscal limits – which have not changed, I repeat, have not changed after the Russian invasion in Ukraine – you are being put under probation, and they are going to examine if you are right or wrong to exceed those fiscal limits. Now, the markets will raise the interest rates on your bond in such a level that you are facing a crisis long before the European Union decides if you are right or not right in raising your defense spending. So, we cannot go forward like that.
We have to understand that we are living in an era where peace is not a given. And unless we can, countries, people, leaders that believe alternative solutions for governing to different societies, to different values, we will not survive. We have accepted democracy as a given, we have accepted peace as a given. It is not like that. We were wrong.
We entered the 21st century believing that we, our children, our grandchildren will live in peace and prosperity. This is not the case, it is obvious.
I can explain why we are wrong, but that is not the reason to spend time, there are other things to discuss. We have to change the way we think. And we also have to explain that to our public. Especially we, the center right parties, we advocate for strong defense.
You know, I had to go to a Greek panel two days ago, because we are reforming our Armed Forces, which is named “Agenda 2030”, and I was asked the very odd question, the question that the French public asked, was asking before the World War I and before the World War II: “butter or guns”. But if you cannot defend yourself you will not have any butter, because somebody will come and take it from you. So in order to have butter you have to have defense.
Spending money on defense is not throwing money out of the window.”
International Democracy Union (IDU)
The International Democracy Union (IDU) is an international alliance of center-right to right wing political parties, who share values for Freedom and Democracy.
It was founded in 1983 and consists of parties-members of countries from all continents. Among its members from Europe are the parties that belong to the European People’s Party (EPP) – like New Democracy from Greece – and to the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) while, from then United States, the Republican Party is its member.
The World ICU Forum in Washington is organized every year and consists a point for meeting and exchanging views, for Chiefs of countries and Governments, Ministers, MPs, delegates from Governments and Organisations, officials, academics and others.
Currently, the chairperson of the IDU is the former Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper.
Among the founding members of the IDU are Margaret Thatcher, George Bush (senior), Jacques Chirac, Helmut Koll and several other leaders.