Thinking Peace 7: The Necessity of Armament? Between Security, Profit, and the Illusion of Peace

The Peace Institute organized a round table discussion entitled “The Necessity of Armament? Between Security, Profit, and the Illusion of Peace,” moderated by researcher Lana Zdravković. The discussion addressed the rapidly growing militarization of Slovenia, Europe, and the world, and the question of whether there is still room for peace policy in such an atmosphere of fear.

The discussion was attended by philosopher Peter Klepec (Institute of Philosophy, ZRC SAZU), defense studies expert Jelena Juvan (Department of Defense Studies, FDV), and global military expenditure researcher Nan Tian (Military Expenditure and Arms Production Program, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute – SIPRI).

Nan Tian emphasized that the link between conflicts and military spending is complex and not straightforward: countries increase spending both before and during conflicts. He warned that high military spending does not guarantee greater security, as it triggers a dangerous “action-reaction” spiral of arms races, leading to instability, the risk of misinterpretation, and the misuse of high-performance weapons.

Jelena Juvan emphasised that Slovenia has strong mechanisms for civilian control over the military and that the militarisation of Slovenian society is not to be expected. She was critical of the government’s statements that the growth in the defence budget will finance infrastructure, as this is not in line with NATO criteria. In her opinion, these announcements are primarily intended for the domestic audience, and historically, Slovenia has not regularly met its defense spending obligations.

Peter Klepec pointed out that Europe is built on false assumptions and that the promise of “never again” at the end of World War II is often overshadowed by the concealment of the reality of wars in its vicinity. He sees a great danger in the abandonment of democratic procedures and the parallel processes of financial capitalism and populism, which fuel anger and social tension. In his opinion, the current situation calls for a strengthening of peace activism.

Participants agreed that the world is sliding into a period marked by crises, militarization, authoritarian populism, and a sense that we are living in “nightmare times.” In conclusion, they emphasized the need to renew peace politics and public debate that transcends the logic of fear and armament.