Following in the footsteps of neighboring Croatia, Serbia is also bringing back military conscription in the form of a 75-day basic training for men and an option for similar volunteer service for women, announced Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
The reinstatement of the compulsory conscription, which was abolished in 2010, was first discussed by the Serbian Army’s General Staff in January, as it was considered the most effective way to replenish and rejuvenate the active and reserve forces amid rising tensions in the region, in particular with Bosnia and Kosovo.
Earlier this year, the Serbian General Staff considered that a four-month period of compulsory service would be necessary, but President Aleksandar Vučić has already talked of a shorter period of two and a half months. In his opinion, compulsory military service should be introduced in a way that does not scare people away and force them to leave the country. He said that 75 days is a really short period, “the least anyone can do for their country.”
He added that soldiers would also receive a financial allowance during their time in barracks, which would be a strain on the budget but would pay for itself many times over. The president also reiterated that Serbia is a militarily neutral state and is not preparing for war.
When he was defense minister last year, Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said that conscription should not be reintroduced because it had never been abolished, claiming “it was just suspended” and that this suspension should be lifted. He argued that there was a need to replenish the military, as there had been no compulsory conscription for 13 years and consequently, the reserve forces were also scarce and aging.
In Croatia, compulsory conscription will be reintroduced from Jan. 1, 2025. The introduction of conscription is also on the agenda in other European countries. It has been proposed in Germany, but so far Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected it. France is considering making the current “light military service” compulsory, the Netherlands and Romania are considering introducing it, and Lithuania and Sweden have reintroduced conscription.
