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RESCUING	FRAGILE	STATES
Book presentation
The book From Fragile State to Functioning State is the result of a research project 
of the Marshall European Center for Security Studies conducted between 2006 and 
2008. The book editor Sabine Collmer and eighteen researchers from twelve different 
states studied examples of fragile states1. The aim of the study was to determine 
possible ways of ensuring stability and democratic reconstruction in these states. 
The authors of the book focused on examining the circumstances that lead to instabi-
lity or inability of a state to operate. They further investigated conditions necessary 
for positive development, reconstruction and transformation of the state. The end 
purpose of these processes is the establishment of basic functions (security, welfare 
and the rule of law) that a government should provide in an organised and stable 
state. The results of the study are based on the analysis of four states representing 
typical models of circumstances, on the basis of which states are classified as fragile 
or non-functioning. States included in the study are Afghanistan, Georgia, Kosovo 
and Moldova. Afghanistan is an example of a state with long-standing history of 
wars, instability, internal conflicts, foreign intervention, economic recession, and 
efforts of the international community for the establishment of a functioning state. 
The second state examined, Georgia, is a state located in an unstable region. It is 
marked by unstable internal policy, frozen internal conflicts, disputes and military 
engagements with the neighbouring state as well as transition efforts towards a 
stable democracy. Moldova, the poorest state in the region, is another state in tran-
sition with frozen internal conflicts. Kosovo, on the other hand, is a state which was 
founded with the help of the international community. It is a state in transition, on the 
path toward a stable democracy and market economy, and a state in conflict with the 
1 The term is used to define states whose governments have failed to ensure security, welfare and the rule of law. 
These states witness threats of internal and interstate conflicts, and risks of destabilisation of the region and 
global instability. Their common denominator is the existence of international interest in their stabilisation 
and the elimination of security risks, and the efforts to prevent their downfall. As there is no general definition 
agreed for these states, various terms such as weak, crisis, ineffective, incapable, failed, collapsed and similar 
are used to describe them. 
Branimir Furlan DOI:10.33179/BSV.99.SVI.11.CMC.13.1.REW
Sodobni	vojaški	izzivi,	junij	2011	–	13/št.	1
Contemporary	Military	Challenges,	April	2011	–	13/No.	1
168 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
neighbouring country and confronted with large political, social and economic chal-
lenges, the solving of which is supported by the international community.
The book has three parts: In the first, theoretical, part Sabine Collmer describes 
the approach taken and outlines the research conducted. Greame P. Herd analyses 
the challenges presented to global security by fragile states. He addresses questions 
regarding the strategy leading to their stability and the roles of international orga-
nisations and superpowers. Steven Hearne describes influences of environmen-
tal security on stability of the state by analyzing conditions required for stability, 
security and sustainability of states, and criteria for identifying the reasons for non-
-functioning of the state. In the conclusion of the first part, Ann L. Phillips examines
effects of external assistance and success of receiving states in applying this assis-
tance for development.
The second part of the book presents the results of case studies. In the study of 
Afghanistan Bahar Jalali gives an overview of the situation, security challen-
ges and risks. Jalali also provides an assessment of the efficiency of international 
community’s efforts to remedy the situation. Gregory Gleason and Yury Bosin write 
about the approach towards the consolidation of Afghanistan by highlighting the 
differences between the views of the Western and Muslim world. Conrad Schetter 
and Rainer Glassner analyse the complex security architecture, noting that tribal and 
other forms of rule at the local level refute the thesis of a non-functioning state.
In her study of Georgia, Maia Chiabrishvili assesses the success level of a state’s 
transformation in economic, social and defence areas and analyses Georgia’s chal-
lenges stemming from its dispute with Russia. Sebastian Mayer presents the role of 
the European Union and the effectiveness of its policy toward Russia and Georgia. 
Martin Malek includes in his study also the states of the former Soviet Union situated 
in the Caucasus Mountains area and defines characteristics and indicators, based on 
which states can be classified as strong and functioning or weak and non-functioning.
In their study of Kosovo, Lulzim Peci and Ilir Dugoli present a comprehensive 
analysis of Kosovo’s challenges, highlight the reasons for Kosovo’s classification 
as a weak state and propose solutions. Dragan Lozančič describes common charac-
teristics and specifics of states in transition in the region of the Western Balkans, 
and presents unresolved problems as well as internal and external factors that 
influence these states. Frank Odendahl explains results of the study on threats posed 
to Southeastern Europe by stocks of small arms and explosive ordnance.
In the last case study Tatiana Busoncian analyses the success level of democratiza-
tion, economic development and security sector operations in Moldova. She also 
analyses security threats posed by the frozen conflict with Transnistria. The study 
of Elena Kovalova focuses on the impact of crime and corruption on security and 
formation of a stabile state. Cristian Urse examines the parallels and the possible 
impact of conflict between Russia and Georgia on the settlement of the dispute 
Branimir Furlan
169 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges
regarding the autonomy of Transnistria, and the related policy of the neighbouring 
states and international organizations.
In the last part of the book, Sabine Collmer defines, based on case studies, factors 
and processes which lead to instability and the weakening of states or which may 
be the reason for their poor functioning. Collmer describes the role of political 
elites, civil society and the media and offers possibilities for future developments 
in Afghanistan, Georgia, Moldova and Kosovo in the context of physical, political, 
economic and social security.
The authors’ main message is how to identify circumstances that contribute to the 
development of fragile or non-functioning states, and how to turn the spiral of 
negative development and destabilization in the positive direction. As the internati-
onal community is, nowadays, confronted with numerous national political forma-
tions that pose a threat to common security or to citizens of this community, their 
message is of interest. These communities share a common influence on stability 
outside their borders, and in certain cases this is a global problem as well. This book 
can be a rich source of information for all who study contemporary security and 
political situation in the world and make risk assessments of the emergence of new 
crises, or for those who seek advice on how international community or individual 
states can contribute to the reconstruction or stabilization of states.
RESCUING FRAGILE STATES