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Croatia Votes to Bring Back Compulsory Military service
(MENAFN) Croatia’s parliament has voted to bring back mandatory military service, ending a 17-year suspension that began in 2008 when the country shifted to a fully professional army.
The decision aligns with a broader trend across NATO and EU nations, where conscription is being revived and defense budgets expanded in response to heightened geopolitical uncertainty, particularly the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
According to a state broadcaster on Friday, the new law will call up roughly 4,000 recruits annually in five separate groups. Each participant will undergo two months of basic training at military facilities nationwide. The program is projected to cost €23.7 million per year and is slated to begin in early 2026. Recruits will earn approximately €1,100 per month, in addition to travel and leave expenses, along with credited work experience.
Croatia’s Defense Minister Ivan Anusic emphasized the rationale for the move earlier this week, as reported by AFP: “Croatia is seeing a rise in various types of threats that demand swift and effective action from the broader community.” In June, he further explained that reinstating conscription responds to “changed global geopolitical and security circumstances, increasingly frequent climate change, natural disasters and similar challenges.”
The country joins a growing list of NATO and EU members reintroducing or expanding military service. Sweden reinstated conscription in 2017 and is planning to raise the age limit for reservists. Latvia and Lithuania have returned to mandatory service, while Estonia and Finland have boosted annual recruitment. Poland has also considered similar measures.
The Ukraine war, which intensified in 2022, has fueled concerns among Western officials that Russia could threaten EU nations, prompting military expansions across the bloc. European NATO members have committed to raising defense spending to as much as 5% of GDP, citing the alleged “Russian threat.”
Moscow has consistently rejected claims of aggression toward Western countries, labeling them “nonsense” and accusing the West of “reckless militarization.”
The decision aligns with a broader trend across NATO and EU nations, where conscription is being revived and defense budgets expanded in response to heightened geopolitical uncertainty, particularly the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
According to a state broadcaster on Friday, the new law will call up roughly 4,000 recruits annually in five separate groups. Each participant will undergo two months of basic training at military facilities nationwide. The program is projected to cost €23.7 million per year and is slated to begin in early 2026. Recruits will earn approximately €1,100 per month, in addition to travel and leave expenses, along with credited work experience.
Croatia’s Defense Minister Ivan Anusic emphasized the rationale for the move earlier this week, as reported by AFP: “Croatia is seeing a rise in various types of threats that demand swift and effective action from the broader community.” In June, he further explained that reinstating conscription responds to “changed global geopolitical and security circumstances, increasingly frequent climate change, natural disasters and similar challenges.”
The country joins a growing list of NATO and EU members reintroducing or expanding military service. Sweden reinstated conscription in 2017 and is planning to raise the age limit for reservists. Latvia and Lithuania have returned to mandatory service, while Estonia and Finland have boosted annual recruitment. Poland has also considered similar measures.
The Ukraine war, which intensified in 2022, has fueled concerns among Western officials that Russia could threaten EU nations, prompting military expansions across the bloc. European NATO members have committed to raising defense spending to as much as 5% of GDP, citing the alleged “Russian threat.”
Moscow has consistently rejected claims of aggression toward Western countries, labeling them “nonsense” and accusing the West of “reckless militarization.”
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