For the first time since 2008, when Croatia abolished compulsory military service, hundreds of young Croatians have arrived for compulsory military service, writes the BBC.
The training will take place in three different locations, and the new recruits will go to the place closest to their homes. Upon arrival at the service location, the young men will receive equipment and information about accommodation, and then they will be subjected to military discipline for two months.
Tihomir Kundid, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, said that the young men have now been torn from the civilian environment, while reassuring worried parents that their offspring will be properly taken care of – getting used to the army routine will happen gradually to prevent excessive stress.
Many of the new recruits were relieved to hear that there would be no special restrictions on the use of mobile phones – they would only be prohibited from being used during training. The first group of new recruits consists of about 800 young people. More than half of them volunteered and did not wait for a draft notice. One in ten are women, although they are not required to perform military service.
Croatian officials are also satisfied with the fact that only about ten people have so far been conscientious objectors. These young people will have to spend four months in civilian service.
General Kundid promised the young people a very dynamic and interesting training program. During it,
they will learn both traditional military skills, and how to control and intercept drones, as well as cyber defense.
The decision to restore compulsory military service in Croatia was made by the proximity of the war – only Hungary separates it from Ukraine. Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anusic told the BBC that the situation in and around Croatia had previously been stable, but that everything had changed.
It is possible that its neighbors could follow Croatia’s example. Ahead of parliamentary elections this month, Slovenia’s largest opposition party is calling for the country to reinstate compulsory military service. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said he will reintroduce compulsory military service within the next 12 months. Serbia has also significantly increased its defense spending.
Serbia’s decision has made Kosovo and Bosnia nervous. Serbia has responded by expressing concerns about Croatia’s new military alliance with Kosovo and Albania. James Ker-Lindsay, an expert on Balkans and international conflicts, said that any military development in the Balkans makes the entire region nervous, because everyone perceives it as an act directed against them. The problem is that when Croatia buys weapons, Serbia also believes it must arm itself.
Meanwhile, Croatia’s compulsory military service is already underway. Three more conscriptions are planned by the end of 2026, and 4,000 new recruits are planned to be trained annually. Croatia is one of ten NATO countries that has returned to compulsory military service, joining Greece, Turkey, the Scandinavian countries and the Baltic states.
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