Deputy Head of the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova Tanja Tamminen: “Civilian crisis management can bring about lasting change”

After a diverse career in civilian crisis management, Tanja Tamminen took up her position as Deputy Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the EU Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM Moldova) in August.

Established in 2023, the European Union Partnership Mission in Moldova (EUPM Moldova) is a civilian crisis management mission that strengthens Moldova’s crisis management structures and its capacity to respond to hybrid threats. The Mission (with approximately 70 staff members) is already familiar to Tamminen, as she moved into her new role from the position of Head of the Mission’s Crisis Management Component. She has eight years of experience working in civilian crisis management missions and has also worked as a researcher as well as in various expert positions.

Developing civilian crisis management has been a constant throughout her career

While working at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland as an EU Adviser in 2005, Tanja Tamminen first heard about the Crisis Management Centre Finland, which was being established at the time, and about international civilian crisis management missions.

– It immediately felt like the right fit for me. I attended CMC Finland’s Basic Course on Civilian Crisis Management in 2006 and started my first mission assignment as a reporting officer with EULEX Kosovo in 2008, Tamminen recalls.

Developing civilian crisis management is close to Tamminen’s heart and has been a common thread throughout her career, both as a researcher and in civilian crisis management missions.

– Finland has sought to highlight the need to evaluate crisis management missions. We need systems that allow us to learn from our activities instead of constantly reinventing the wheel. When I worked as a researcher in 2012–2013, I also emphasised the need to develop an impact evaluation system for civilian crisis management, she says.

EUPM Moldova is now introducing an online progress tracking system, the development of which Tamminen was working on during her previous deployments.

– I am very pleased that we are able to transfer systems that work from one mission to another, and that I can now be involved in seeing how the system works within the mission, Tamminen says.

Civilian crisis management delivers sustainable results

According to Tamminen, one of the strengths of civilian crisis management is its long-term approach.

– As an instrument, civilian crisis management is much more impactful and sustainable than short-term development projects. By investing in civilian crisis management, Member States demonstrate their political interest in a region or country. Experts bring with them the expertise of their Member States, allowing us to build cooperation between the authorities of the host country and our own national authorities, Tamminen says.

Experts also bring new knowledge and experience, for example on responding to hybrid threats, back to EU Member States after completing their mission assignments.

Years of working with the EU and civilian crisis management have taught Tanja Tamminen how change can be achieved within large structures.

– At first, it can be a shock to realise how slowly things sometimes move. You have to learn to understand the EU in order to make use of the opportunities it offers. Things do move forward when someone believes in them and works persistently to advance them, she concludes.

Tanja Tamminen

Holds a PhD in Political Science from Sciences Po in France and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Turku, specialising in European security issues.
Worked as a Reporting Officer with EULEX Kosovo in 2008–2010 and as a Reporting Officer/Political Adviser in 2013–2015; as Head of Planning, Coordination and Cooperation Department at EUAM Ukraine in 2017–2019; as Head of the Crisis Management Component at EUPM Moldova in 2025–2026; and as Deputy Head of Mission/Chief of Staff since August 2026.
Led Component 1 of the EU Commission-funded EU4Dialogue programme from 2020 to 2025. In this role, she organised regional dialogue processes involving participants from different conflict-affected areas in Moldova and the South Caucasus. Topics included water dialogue, energy issues, historical narratives and the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
Has also worked at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. Has collaborated with CMC on various projects.
Co-authored, together with Paulius Klikunas, a handbook on advisory support for tackling organised crime (CMC website, pdf)