The Diplomacies of New Small States: The Case of Slovenia With Some Comparison From the Baltics by Milan Jazbec

Author:Milan Jazbec [Jazbec, Milan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Public Policy, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781351891523
Google: agokDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 35196094
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2001-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

2.3.3 Recruitment

2.3.3.1 Recruitment and Education

In our analysis of sociological aspects of new diplomacies we have established the specifics of their initial personnel composition and drawn attention to the lack of resources, particularly human resources. Directly linked to this are the youth and feminisation of new diplomacies as two of their basic characteristics. After all we have said it is safe to assume that recruitment appears as one of the key processes in the new diplomacies and, in connection with it, the issue of additional diplomatic training of personnel.

Recruitment for new diplomacies at their inception is based on those groups which, for whatever reasons, possess a certain level of diplomatic knowledge and experience, the members of which are interested in working in the diplomatic service and on those who are recruited via other, particularly political channels. Initial recruitment therefore corresponds to the outline of the groups and subgroups which constitute new diplomacies in that period, depending on each individual case. In the initial period, due to the broader situation, including international circumstances, and to the explicit lack of time for recruitment, it is based not simply on a planned and long-term approach - if this is possible and actually ever exists at all - but an important role is also played by improvisation. This is understandable to a certain degree as new diplomacies are tom between the fact that the recruitment of diplomatic personnel, in addition to meeting professional demands, needs to be planned long-term and the fact that, because of the importance of diplomatic service and its suitability for political recruitment, there are great interests in such recruitment.

As there is, initially, a dramatic shortage of personnel and as the new diplomacies have to be set up in a very short period of time, opportunities for political recruitment appear (not only at ‘zero hour’ but also later), irrespective of the short-sightedness of this approach. The question arises as to whether because of these circumstances a certain degree of political recruitment really is unavoidable and necessary, even useful. Kosin is very clear in his evaluation of this in the case of Slovenia: “It could not have been any different, as initially. we could not have opened embassies and consulates abroad without contract workers” (1997:231). It is particularly important that this method of recruitment does not become the dominant and permanent one, otherwise it later contradicts the need for a professional diplomacy, based on relevant education and practical experience.18 Furthermore, recruitment for the most sensitive positions following unprofessional criteria is socially (not just within diplomatic service, but also elsewhere) unacceptable and negative: “Patronage is becoming a national catastrophe! Leading politicians and party leaders trade with top jobs, giving them to upstarts within their own ranks, who are usually without any professional qualifications, and a moment later, they are accepting professional advice from these people” (Keber, 1996:139).

This is why a systematic and organised effort is needed for a transition from the initial phase of recruitment, in which a very unfavourable personnel situation has to

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