Proposition 51K2455

Projet de loi modifiant certaines dispositions relatives à l'Ecole royale militaire.

General information ¶

Authors

MR Philippe Monfils
Open Vld Ingrid Meeus
PS | SP Talbia Belhouari
Vooruit David Geerts

Submission date

May 3, 2006

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

higher education armed forces teaching

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA MR FN VB

Contact form ¶

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Discussion ¶

June 15, 2006 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

I am referring to my written report.

Madame Wiaux, were you registered in the general discussion?

Mr. Monfils, I know that you are also registered but I will leave the honor to the ladies and the opposition. You are a galanty man.

Madame Wiaux, you have the word in the general discussion of this bill.

I have no doubt in Mr. Galantery. Neither Monfils nor my other colleagues.

He is pleased to see that, by the provisions provided for in this bill, the Royal Military School will adapt to the Bologna process and thus introduce, for its faculties, European standards. We will therefore support these provisions as well as those concerning in particular the improvement of the definition of the school’s mission and its organisation, for example the one concerning continuing education and the establishment of a school-specific board of directors, alongside the heritage board and the academic council.

The Minister, Mr. Boukourna was too modest to refer to his written report because it is extremely well-written and exhaustive. It gives an accurate account of the debates that took place and which, although this proposal was unanimously welcomed, were very interesting.

I would like to begin by thanking all the groups that approved this bill and allowed the Royal Military School to be finally placed on the right foot, that is, at the same level as the academic institutions. For a long time, certain provisions, either decretal, legal, regulatory and other, had already resulted in this situation, but this was not the case "de lege lata"; it was "de lege ferenda". I am pleased to see that today, finally, the Royal Military School is endowed with a status fully consistent with its mission and what it is, i.e. an institution of university education.

We also took the opportunity to incorporate it into the Bologna process in order to modernize the structure, creating a real board of directors of the school, as well as, "last but not least", by merging it with the Royal Higher Institute of Defense, a merger envisaged in the 2003 Director Plan and which allows us to have an interesting set of teaching and training.

The vote on this bill gives us today the opportunity to highlight the importance of ERM training but also and above all to highlight the quality of ERM training in Belgium. This is rarely done. The ERM will soon celebrate its 175th anniversary (the military establishment dates from 1834). It is responsible for the academic, military and sports training of our military.

The motto of the Royal Military School is as follows: "Rege duce, pro jure et honore" (to serve the homeland and the King with honour and justice) and directly refers to the training objectives set by the school. It is responsible for the common basic military training for career officers of all armed forces. Its mission, therefore, is to train young people and girls for future officer positions and thus prepare them to drive, lead women and men and make good decisions, all within often complex European or international organizations.

I would like to emphasize that training is not only technical and military. All members of the armed forces and in the first place officers must know the society in which they live. Their task is deeply, and more and more elsewhere, anchored in social life. To be convinced of this, it is sufficient to mention the humanitarian aspect accompanying virtually all peacekeeping or restoration missions or the part taken by the military in the first emergency interventions on the occasion of accidents, natural disasters in our country, interventions in favor of the civilian population, often in collaboration with other services.

Citizenship training is also an important task at the Royal Military School. Military and citizen, the compatibility of these two aspects has been clearly demonstrated recently, when we voted here, unanimously or almost unanimously, the law allowing military personnel to be candidates in municipal and provincial elections.

The teaching objectives are perfectly met by the ERM faculty whose quality is recognized everywhere. It also extends its activity outside of Belgium. It participates in research and development projects of international dimension. This is currently the case for the ITER programme, which has as its main objective to address the challenge and demonstrate the scientific and technological feasibility of the merger. Its partners in this project are not “thin” as it is the European Union, represented by Euratom, Japan, China, India, Korea, Russia and the United States. The ERM also participates in the development of this system as part of the heating of gas by electromagnetic waves. This proves that the school not only enjoys a good international reputation but participates in very high-level scientific debates with other countries and international partners. by

I also know that it attracts many students. I mean as proof the presence of foreign students: 18% of ERM students are of foreign nationality. Among them, many Africans from Morocco, Tunisia, Gabon, Cameroon, Benin, Congo and Rwanda. For these last three countries, the exchanges take place within the framework of the military partnership developed with them for a number of years. In these partnership programs aimed at contributing to stabilization in Central Africa, military training has an important and crucial place.

Another example of the quality of ERM training is the recent recognition, in April last year, by the European Commission, of the Royal Military School as an Erasmus institution. This means that the ERM will welcome, in a first phase, ⁇ very soon, students from the University of Avignon in France and the Technical University of Iasi in Romania. by

By emphasizing the quality and European dimension of training, the Erasmus programme, which includes, among other things, exchanges of students and teachers as well as the joint development of study programmes, will further anchor the ERM in the European educational landscape and will undoubtedly contribute to consolidating the institution’s European as well as international reputation. This program will obviously enhance the presence of foreigners within the school. This cultural diversity found in the ERM is a real asset, not only in terms of personal development but also for the school and training as such, due to the increasingly European or international framework in which military operations take place today. by

Belgium is at the heart of the European construction and also of the European defence. Officers trained at the Royal Military School are the soldiers who will be sent to the field shortly afterwards. They must therefore be trained not only on the role that Belgium must play in this European defence but much more on the requirements of a genuine European defence.

Its reputation and anchorage, increasingly important in Europe, therefore give special responsibilities to the Royal Military School. Training is indeed one of the keys to success in today’s world. It is for all these reasons that I look forward to the legal recognition that the Royal Military School finally enjoys. Finally, I would like to thank all my colleagues from all the groups for their willingness to adopt this proposal.

Madame Belhouari, you were asking for the word. I had not noticed you! Fortunately, the eagle eye of the group leader and the deputy prime minister did the necessary!

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker. I would like to say that I totally agree with Mr. Monfils and emphasize that the teaching of the Royal Military School must also address citizen training. This aspect of education, which must be given to our military, is fundamental. Defence must be a guarantor of democratic values. It must be close to the citizen, ready to render service everywhere and whenever possible. It is important that young men and young women who engage in our Armed Forces know and are aware of the values they defend.