[March 31, 2016] The study of leadership often means the review of successful leaders and the institutions where they practice their trade. It also means we should examine failed leadership where valuable information on what not to do can be found. Such is the case in the recent deadly terrorist attack in Brussels where its leadership could have done a better job.
Much has been written about the Belgian intelligence1 and law enforcement2 failures and how that resulted in one of the deadliest attacks in Europe. This is common ground when laws of a nation prohibit security actions that have been established to protect the rights of its citizens. However, Belgium has extended its legal rights to non-citizens and has additionally allowed an unchecked refugee flow into the country.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Charles Michel and the rest of the country’s political leadership failed to provide either simple steps to stem the flow of refugees or provide for the political-legal environment for its intelligence and police services to more aggressively pursue the means to find and arrest those plotting terrorist attacks. Furthermore, its political leadership actually encouraged the current environment by welcoming those who would refuse to assimilate into their culture.
France and Germany are two other European countries which have made the same mistakes. Both countries have paid the price in terrorism and increased violent crimes against its citizens. Each leader in all of these nation states continue along the same path and have only made minor changes that will not likely change the risk imposed on their citizens. Politicians cannot have it both ways; 1) welcome a large influx of refugees and appear generous and accommodating and 2) take appropriate, legal steps to protect their citizens and appear inflexible and unreasonable.
European leaders have taken the steps of appeasement just as Britain’s Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain did in 1938 when he struck the Munich Agreement with Germany’s Adolf Hitler.3 No surprise that Britain and other countries are reconsidering their place in the European Union. They believe that the EU may be more of a hindrance to their national security than the gains from European sovereignty.
When national leaders fail in their fundamental duties it is not unusual for another, stronger leader to step up. Europe awaits this person. One thing is for certain, history shows us that more terrorism will occur in Europe but they will produce a strong leader with the courage to lead and demonstrate how one can both protect their citizens and do so without violating their basic values.
[Don’t forget to “Like” the Leader Maker at our Facebook Page.]
———————-
- http://time.com/4269505/brussels-attacks-security-failure-belgium/
- http://sputniknews.com/europe/20160323/1036827531/brussels-attacks-police-intelligence.html
- http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/sep/05/chamberlain-munich-appeasement-second-world-war