Croatia’s Ministry of Defence has announced plans to teach young citizens the basic skills of warfare and the knowledge needed to manage crisis situations.
The Croatian parliament voted on Friday to reinstate compulsory military service amid heightened tensions linked to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
The new service will last two months and provide “basic military training,” according to local outlet HRT. Croatia had previously abolished conscription in 2008, switching instead to a volunteer-based system.
Local authorities have also called on conscripts born in 2007 to undergo medical examinations by the end of the year.
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, several European nations have reconsidered reintroducing military service and reassessing the role of conscription in national security.
Lithuania partially reinstated mandatory service in 2015, while Norway became the first European country to extend conscription to women.
