Defence and strategy

Pavel NEČAS*, Peter TEREM**, Miroslav KELEMEN***

The new strategy was supposed to be presented at NATO’s 60th anniversary summit in Bucharest, as the previous Strategic Concept was agreed upon when NATO celebrated its 50th birthday ten years before. A number of factors baffled this intention. Despite the interest, particularly among the NATO members, who joined the Alliance after the end of the cold war, in a new strategic foundation for NATO, many of some other members had their doubts, because the new NATO strategy would have to take on both problems; the specification of the role of the Alliance and the promotion of its existence. To do so, it has to be a hybrid document, addressing the political and military decision making level in NATO as well as the publics inside and outside the Alliance. It has to provide strategic guidance and should be the foundation on which to build public support for security policy needs.