Effects of Non-Alignment on Neutrality in Europe: An Analysis and Appraisal
| Author | Harto Hakovirta |
| DOI | 10.1177/001083678301800105 |
| Published date | 01 March 1983 |
| Date | 01 March 1983 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Effects
of
Non-Alignment
on
Neutrality
in
Europe:
An
Analysis
and
Appraisal
HARTO
HAKOVIRTA
Department
of
Political
Science,
University
of
Tampere
Hakovirta,
Harto.
Effects
of
Non-Alignment
on
Neutrality
in
Europe:
An
Analysis
and
Appraisal.
Cooperation
and
Conflict,
XVIII
,
1983,
57-75.
The
effects
of
non-alignment
on
European
neutrality
are
analyzed
and
appraised.
Six
dimensions
of
neutrality
are
discussed:
stability,
scope,
crystallization,
credibility,
acceptability,
and
international
utility.
Some
of
the
basic
similarities
between
the
non-aligned
and
the
neutral
countries,
the
development
of
contacts
between
them,
and
Yugoslavian
linkage
activities
are
identified
as
the
major
preconditions
of
the
effects.
Non-alignment
tends
to
destabilize
and
decrystallize
the
traditions
of
European
neutrality.
The
development
of
a
closer
relationship
between
the
European
neutral
states
and
the
non-aligned
movement
would
very
likely
decrease
the
credibility
and
the
acceptability
of
their
policies
in
Western
eyes,
whereas
its
repercussions
in
the
East
would
be
more
uncertain.
The
capacities
of
European
neutral
states
to
play
traditional
third-party
roles
might
be
reduced,
but
closer
cooperation
with
the
non-
aligned
might
simultaneously
provide
possibilities
for
international
influence
on
issues
of
global
importance.
Development
of
the
non-aligned
movement
since
the
early
1970’s
has
tended
to
make
it
politically
less
attractive
to
the
European
neutral
states.
A
return
to
the
earlier
lines,
dominated
more
strongly
by
countries
like
Yugoslavia
and
India,
would
increase
the
attraction.
INTRODUCTION
Simultaneously
with
the
emergence
of
non-alignment
and
its
development
to
a
new
factor
in
world
politics,
changes
have
taken
place
in
European
neutrality.
Can
some
of
those
changes
be
attributable
to
non-alignment?
What
is
the
meaning
of
such
possible
effects
for
European
neutrality?
Such
questions
have
evoked
little
atten-
tion
among
either
the
students
of
interna-
tional
politics
in
general
or
those
of
non-alignment
and
neutrality
in
particu-
lar.~
One
explanation
may
be
the
fact
that
the
study
of
international
relations
deals
mainly
with
visible
and
discrete
or
pat-
terned
phenomena,
and
tends
to
ignore
latent
and
diffuse
processes.
Non-alignment
is
an
amorphous
con-
cept.2
Here,
it
is
understood
as
the
evolv-
ing
set
of
interconnected
principles
and
practices
manifested
in
consensual
or
other
collective
forms
in
the
activities
and
declarations
of
the
non-aligned
movement
and,
more
specifically,
in
the
international
postures
and
activities
of
individual
mem-
ber
states,
especially
the
leading
ones.
When
speaking
of
European
neutrality
or
neutrality
in
Europe
we
primarily
refer
to
the
actual
or
existing
neutrality
as
man-
ifested
in
the
international
positions
and
policies
of
five
European
states,
namely
Switzerland,
Austria,
Sweden,
Finland
and
Ireland.
One
can
also
think
of poten-
tial
neutrality
in
Europe,
which
might
be
detected,
in
the
first
place,
by
observing
symptoms
of
disintegration,
disengage-
ment
or
polycentrism
in
the
Cold
War
blocs.
In
a
similar
fashion,
one
can
dis-
tinguish
between
existing
and
potential
58
non-alignment
in
Europe.
In
talking
about
the
effects
of
non-
alignment
on
neutrality
in
Europe,
we
are
employing
causal
language,
but
only
in
the
general
sense
that
some
historical
or
possible
future
changes
in
Europe
are
or
may
be,
wholly
or
partly,
directly
or
indirectly,
clearly
or
less
clearly,
attri-
butable
to
some
changes
in
non-align-
ment.
The
systematic
use
of
more
defini-
tive
causal
language
would
be
unrealistic
in
this
context,
because
both
non-align-
ment
and
European
neutrality
are
under
the
complex
influence
of
a
great
number
of
international
and
national
factors,
many
of
which
are
much
more
significant
as
explanations
of
these
two
phenomena
than
their
mutual
interaction.
The
processes of
interaction
between
the
non-aligned
movement
and
the
Euro-
pean
neutral
states
have
been
mainly
of
diffuse
character
or
are
just
slowly
emerg-
ing.
Thus,
there
is
very
little
relevant
empirical
research
material
available
in
the
form
of
governmental
declarations,
communiqu6s,
interaction
statistics
and
the
like.
However,
starting
from
the
importance
of
the
subject,
a
rather
non-
positivist
attempt
is
made
here
to
struc-
ture
the
analysis
of
the
few
basic
historical
facts
and
future
possibilities
around
a
framework
composed
of
the
distinction
between
the
various
roles
of
the
non-
aligned
as
influencers
and
the
dimensions
of
influence
on
European
neutrality.
Despite
the
fact
that
there
are
consider-
able
differences
between
the
European
neutral
states,
the
emphasis
is
intention-
ally
placed
not
on
the
comparison
of
cases
but
on
European
neutrality
as
a
more
abstract,
composite
concept.
The
purpose
of
the
analysis
is
not
to
compare
the
neu-
trals
and
non-aligned
for
the
sake
of
com-
parison.
Neither
does
it
aim
at
a
detailed
description
or
explanation
of
the
devel-
opment
of
the
relations
between
the
European
neutral
states
and
the
non-
aligned
per
se.
SOURCES
AND
DIMENSIONS
OF
EFFECTS
Non-alignment
is
a
new
and
developing
element
of
international
life
requiring
some
adaptation
by
all
states.
This
could,
of
course,
be
regarded
as
its
major
effect.
On
the
other
hand,
the
non-aligned
and
other
nations
are
continuously
being
com-
pelled
to
adapt
to
the
totality
of
the
chang-
ing
international
system
of
which
they
are
a
part.
This
can
produce
spurious
corre-
lations
between
the
more
or
less
parallel
activities
of
the
non-aligned
and
other
nations,
often
leading
to
invalid
infer-
ences
about
their
mutual
effects.
However,
here
we
are
interested
in
more
specific
things.
An
initial
distinction
can
be
made
between
three
capacities
in
which
non-alignment,
or
the
non-aligned
countries
as
its
representatives,
can
effect
changes
in
European
neutrality:
-
The
non-aligned
as
influencers.
The
non-aligned
countries,
acting
individu-
ally,
or
in
combinations,
as
represen-
tatives
of
the
non-aligned
ideology
and
movement
can
influence
the interna-
tional
postures
of
European
.states
through
conscious
efforts.
This
can
be
done
by
mobilizing
support
for
or
lim-
iting
opposition
against
the
ideas,
pro-
grams,
demands
or
proposals
of
the
non-aligned
movement.
Such
an
influ-
ence
can
mainly
be
expected
to
occur
through
discrete
episodes
within
the
context
of
official
bilateral
and
multi-
lateral
interaction.3
3
-
Non-alignment
as
a
source
of
innova-
tions
and
as
a
frame
of
reference.
Non-alignment
can
provide
new
ideals,
norms
and
practices
which
the
Euro-
pean
states
may
be
attracted
to
apply
as
innovations
or
points
of
reference.
These
kinds
of
processes
occur
mainly
by
way
of
diffusion.4
4
-
The
non-aligned
as
partners
and
oppo-
nents.
By
cooperating
with
or
opposing
European
states
the
non-aligned
can
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