Croatia will reintroduce two-month mandatory military service from January 1. File | Photo credit: AP
Croatia will reintroduce two-month mandatory military service from January 1 next year, the country’s Defence Minister Ivan Anusic announced late Thursday (August 15, 2024).
This step has been taken amid increasing tension in Europe. Russian aggression against Ukraine There was also an obvious arms race and military build-up in the Balkans, which underwent bloody war in the 1990s.
Watch: In which countries is military service compulsory?
The decision marks the return of military conscription, which was suspended in 2008 when the country adopted a volunteer-based system.
“We have increased the salaries of soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers, increasing their material rights not only through personal income but also through daily wages and all their rights,” the minister told Croatian broadcaster RTL on Thursday (August 16, 2024).
“The modernization and equipment of the armed forces is proceeding according to plan and in agreement with our allies and the NATO leadership,” the minister said, adding that there will be no saving of money in this area.
Other countries in Europe are considering similar measures or have reintroduced mandatory military service in response to rising regional tensions.
Last year, Latvia resumed 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 considering resuming military conscription.