Abstract
This thesis looks at the security policy of state actors. States can pursue a compensatory security strategy, if traditional policy options (defence, military alliances) are not available. The main goal of compensatory security strategies is to compensate for security policy deficits by linking security issues with policies in functional independent, non-military areas. Compensatory security strategies provide enhanced flexibility and additional scope of action in a changing political environment.
Three case studies cover Estonia, Finland and Taiwan. Their security situation has several issues in common: All of them are situated in the direct geographical neighborhood of a significantly bigger state, which they perceive as a potential threat to their security. They cannot rely mainly on traditional security instruments like military defence or alliances. At the same time, a changing international system increasingly provides new possibilities to satisfy national security interests. Economics, foreign trade, regional cooperation and even domestic politics can be subject of a compensatory security strategy.
Estonia, Finland and Taiwan all rely on compensatory strategies in their foreign and security policy. Different types of compensatory security strategies can be identified. They are characterized by differently setting priorities on single issue areas. Furthermore, compensatory security strategies can initiate changes of state actors' perceptions of national security and definitions of security policy goals over time. Finland's policy of active neutrality towards the Soviet Union led to pursuing constantly a compensatory strategy even after the disintegration USSR. Cooperation with Russia and affiliation with the European Union have been perceived as favorite strategy for dealing with challenges to Finnish security. In contrast, Estonia strives for membership in the European Union in order to compensate for latently perceived security deficits, as far as security guarantees given by NATO are not available. Compensatory strategies in Taiwan's security policy lay emphasis on her domestic democratization in order to maintain ongoing political and military support of the U.S. against political ambitions of the People's Republic of China. On the other hand, the impact of economic interdependence with the Chinese mainland has been seen ambiguously so far. |
