Another European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft as tensions soar

Another European country will reintroduce a two-month compulsory military service.

The service will be starting January 1 next year, the country’s Defense Minister Ivan Anusic announced late last week.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in Europe following the Russian aggression against Ukraine as well as an apparent arms race and military buildup in the Balkans which went through a bloody war in the 1990s.

Other countries in Europe are considering similar measures or have reinstated mandatory military service in response to heightened regional tensions.

Last year, Latvia reinstated military conscription in response to the threat posed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Serbia, Croatia’s biggest rival in the Balkans, is also mulling to reactivate conscription.

This decision marks a return to conscription, which was suspended in 2008 when the country shifted to a volunteer-based system.

“We increased the salaries of soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers, their material rights not only through personal income but also through daily wages and everything they are entitled to,” the minister told the Croatian broadcaster RTL on Thursday.

“The modernization and equipment of the Armed Forces is proceeding as planned and in accordance with the agreement with our allies and the NATO leadership,” the minister said, adding that there will be no saving of funds in this area.

Earliee this year UK’s former Primeminister Rishi Sunak announced that 18-year-olds would be made to do national service if the Tories win the general election.

The party did not win.

The prime minister insisted that his plans for mandatory national service would help unite society in an “increasingly uncertain world” and give young people a “shared sense of purpose”.

In an apparent pitch to older voters, Mr Sunak said that volunteering could include helping local fire, police and NHS services, as well as charities tackling loneliness and supporting elderly and isolated people.

Sweden, Denmark and Norway are among the other nations that have a form of national service.

In Sweden for example, teenagers service in the military for between nine and 15 months provided they pass the required physical and mental tests. Around 8,000 boys and girls take part every year.

In Denmark, men are required to enlist in the military for four months, but can postpone service until after they have completed their education. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Denmark plans to increase the required service time to 11 months, and to make conscription mandatory rather than voluntary for women.

Norway’s scheme is highly selective, with less than 10,000 people accepted in 2023, which is said by experts to make it a competitive process for the prestigious slots.