Her Imperial Royal Highness, the Archduchess Walburga of Austria describes her work at the Swedish Parliament

The coat of arms’ nobility equals that of the soul

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe deals with the security of 56 States all over the world, what is its history and how does it operate?

The OSCE was founded under the Cold War, as a consequence of the Helsinki Conference, which instituted the Conference of Security and Co-Operation in Europe. The aim was to get both the United States and the Soviet Union at the same table, and thus try to exclude the danger of escalating conflicts between these two super-powers. The Conference in Helsinki discussed three ‘baskets’, three main questions, which were:

a) Foreign Policy and Security

b) Environment and Economy

c) Human Rights and the Human Dimension

These three baskets still today describe the main fields of work of the OSCE, as well as Conflict Prevention.

As Head of the Swedish Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly what are your main objectives?

I am leading a delegation of 8 parliamentarians from the Swedish Parliament, which forms a part of the OSCE-PA (OSCE-Parliamentary Assembly). In the Parliamentary Assembly we work in three Committees, which are built according to these three baskets and we are members of Parliament from the 56 participating states in the OSCE. We discuss our topics, vote resolutions on different topics, have discussions with the governments of the 56 participating states (which encompass nearly the complete Northern hemisphere – from Vladivostok to Vancouver). On the other hand we are actively involved in election observation in the participating states, and after observing elections, we try to help the countries adapt their electoral laws, so that the elections can become free and fair.

How did your background in law and journalism help you fulfil your goals in international relations?

I have always been active in politics and political PR, with my main objective being the European development, the enlargement of Europe, the Fall of the Iron Curtain. I believe that as a politician you must have a big network, thus you can try to help countries to be able to achieve their goals when it comes to development of democracy, to get – if in Europe – closer to the aim of joining the European Union, to live Rule of Law and Human Rights. I have always been very involved in the enlargement process, and have had the enormous chance to meet many active politicians in the enlargement Europe, helping them to build up their own networks, and being present, when they develop their ideas about a United Europe.

Is it trickier to deal with destitute, landlocked countries, such as Kyrgyzstan? How did OSCE monitor the last Presidential elections and what were your impressions as Special Co-ordinator of the observer mission?

I do not think that the fact of a country being landlocked makes such a difference. The Central Asian States have had the big problem that after their independence they were ruled by very autocratic rulers. Kyrgyzstan had the chance to develop into a pluralistic country, after the war in 2010, being able to vote more than one party into Parliament. Moreover the country had the enormous chance of getting a female President, who has many contacts all around the world, and could open up the country towards the west, and could start real exchange.

The Presidential election last November was the first time, in that Central Asian State, that the incumbent was not running and that a new President was elected in a normal, democratic and pluralistic election. I was impressed by this performance, and although there still were a couple of problems, the country was capable to undergo this democratic election vote for a new President and show a certain maturity.

In your opinion which are the countries more at risk as regards Security?

The countries most at risk are those threatened by their neighbours, countries that can be described as failed states, countries, that struggle with implementing democracy. In 2008 we witnessed how Russia tried to run over parts of Georgia, now we witness open breaches of Human Rights in Belarus, which can be only described as “The Darkness in Minsk” but also in the Ukraine, where politicians like Julia Tymochenko are thrown into detention-camps under false pretexts.

Besides the OSCE you’ve been engaged in several other humanitarian activities, which one has been the most gratifying for you?

Anything dealing with the enlargement of the European Union is fantastic, because it shows that the ‘idea Europe’ is winning more and more ground, and that Europe’s ‘Soft Power’ can put countries onto the right track.

What are the top list topics you would like to be discussed at the upcoming Winter Assembly?

We shall speak about Human Rights in Belarus, the Ukraine and Russia, which is very important in the wake of the Presidential elections there, but also about Guantanamo. And the big discussion topic on the second day is the conventional arms reduction.

by Chiara Spagnoli

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