The mandatory two-month military service has been planned to start in early 2025 for some time now, but despite the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces being ready to begin training on January 1st, it remains uncertain if this will happen due to the need for a political agreement at the highest level.

Defence Minister Ivan Anusic said several times this week that his ministry and the Armed Forces are fully prepared to conduct basic military training starting on January 1, 2025.

The instructors are ready, and three locations are available to accommodate conscripts.

“We have informed both the Prime Minister and the President. We are waiting for a political decision and consensus. We are ready to start whenever the political decision is made— 1 January, 1 June, or 31 August. Just let us know when, and we will begin,” Anusic said.

Necessary amendments to the Defence Act

In order for conscription to be introduced on 1 January, amendments to the Defence Act are necessary. Currently, the law stipulates that military service lasts six months, not the proposed two. Additionally, the law states that “mandatory military service or civilian service is required by law only in cases of imminent threat or wartime.”

Mandatory military service was suspended in 2008 and has since been voluntary. However, the changing security situation in Europe and the world has prompted the government to reconsider reintroducing some form of military service.

“This issue did not arise because of someone’s whim. We are observing what is happening around us and what other responsible governments are doing. We must be responsible, not complacent, pretending everything around us is fine when there are plenty of crisis hotspots,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

He mentioned Russian aggression in Ukraine, Hamas’s attack on Israel, tensions in Kosovo, threats from illegal migration, and a series of terrorist attacks in Europe over the past 15 years.

At the end of August, the President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Zoran Milanovic, reiterated that the introduction of mandatory military service must be a government decision, not someone’s political agenda.