Another European country to reintroduce compulsory military draft as tensions soar

Other countries in Europe are considering similar measures in response to heightened regional tensions

Croatia will reintroduce a two-month compulsory military service, it was announced this week.

The service will be starting January 1 next year, the country's Defense Minister Ivan Anusic said.

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.

Army Forces of Croatia walk during the rehearsal of the French Bastille Day parade at the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, Tuesday, July 9, 2013 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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.

A member of the British armed forces teaches a group of Ukrainian volunteers how to use a FGM-148 Javelin surface-to-air missile (Getty Images)

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 modernisation 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.

Earlier this year Rishi Sunak announced that 18-year-olds in the UK 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.

Rishi Sunak announced that 18-year-olds would be made to do national service if the Tories win the general election. (PA Wire)

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

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 fewer than 10,000 people accepted in 2023, which is said by experts to make it a competitive process for the prestigious slots.