The Comparison between the Hungarian and Romanian National Security Strategies

Abstract

In 2020 first Hungary, later Romania, two member states of NATO, EU and PESCO adopted their own Nation Security Strategies. There was a need in both mentioned countries for new defense strategies because in the recent years new challenges and threats have emerged, like the annexation of Crimea, the destabilization of Ukraine and the migration crisis. These documents describe the two countries’ place in the international system, also list the threats and challenges to their security, finally try to give a solution based on their and the capabilities. The strategies also carry a message to neighbors, allies and future rivals. The documents aim is the protection of core national values. In this paper my goal is to offer an overview of the strategic documents and to analyze first the Romanian National Defense Strategy, then the Hungarian National Security Strategy, finally to highlight the similarities and to find the differences like national sovereignty, protection of Christian values or the importance of a European army. In both security documents old and new threats appear like terrorism, climate change, migrant problems, hybrid warfare, arms and drug trafficking. Each strategy is an official communication tool, an official policy message to external and internal actors at different levels and of different types that influence national security.