Will European Countries Rreintroduce Compulsory Military Conscription?

In recent years, Europe has witnessed radical shifts in its defense and security policies, driven by escalating regional tensions, especially the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which forced many European countries to review their defense strategies.

This includes the re-imposition of compulsory military service, which was previously an essential part of European military policies before it was gradually abolished in the wake of the Cold War, but has now become a focus of European interest in light of the changing security conditions in Eastern Europe.

Many European countries recently reintroduced mandatory military conscription, or the expansion of its scope, raising questions about the reasons for this shift at a time when their armies are witnessing significant flabbiness and security challenges.

It is noteworthy that European armies suffer from several problems, the most important of which is the weak spending on equipment and ammunition. 

According to Armin Papperger, CEO of Germany's biggest defence firm, Rheinmetall, Europe will need 10 years before it is fully ready to defend itself.

Many European governments are looking to increase the size of their armed forces over the coming years

Conscription

Immediately after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, talk of the European armed forces and their prospects returned to the center of discussion in Europe, in preparation for any all-out war in Europe, as happened during the two world wars.

One of the proposed solutions to re-strengthen the European armies is the reintroduction of conscription, which is currently limited to 15 European countries: Austria, Belarus, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkiye and Ukraine.

Croatia is set to reintroduce mandatory military conscription beginning January 1, 2025, according to Defense Minister Ivan Anusic, after it was suspended in 2008.

On his part, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius presented a new model last June for introducing compulsory military service for young men.

He also described the decision to end compulsory conscription, during the era of former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011, as a mistake in German defense policy.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected a proposal by his defense minister to introduce compulsory military service. 

However, there are calls for a national debate on the issue from across the political spectrum.

The Bundestag's commissioner for the army, Eva Hogl, who is also from the ruling Social Democrats like Scholz and Pistorius, recently suggested that a mandatory year of service in military or civilian institutions should be discussed.

Pistorius is leaning towards a model similar to that in Sweden and Norway, whereby the army calls up candidates for military service and selects those who are eligible to be permanently contracted.

Some countries, such as Austria, offer a choice between military and civilian service, a model that may be more feasible for other countries concerned about the social and political implications of conscription or mandatory service.

Last January, compulsory service came into effect in Latvia, after being suspended in 2006.

In previous statements, Latvian President Egils Laftis attributed this decision to the new geopolitical situation, which requires a greater number of people who can participate in the defense of their country if necessary.

Neighbouring Lithuania reinstated conscription in 2015 after a seven-year hiatus, provoked by Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

In 2023, the Romanian Ministry of Defense supported a bill proposing that Romanians of military age, including those living abroad, be obliged to respond to the army’s call in case of general mobilization.

In February, Romanian army chief General Gheorghe Vlad, said the country should urgently adopt a legal framework that would allow civilian volunteers to continue military training, confirming the possibility of a return to compulsory military service in Romania, which was suspended in 2007.

In France, calls for the country’s reintroduction of compulsory military service date back to before the Ukraine war.

President Emmanuel Macron introduced the Universal National Service in 2019, which enables young people to volunteer for a month and serve their country. 

The government is now considering making this compulsory for all French nationals aged 15-17.

Previous polls have shown that 66% of French people support the idea of returning to compulsory military service and regret its abolition.

Italian officials in Giorgia Meloni's government have also hinted at their support for the return of compulsory military service.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has on several occasions expressed his support for the reintroduction of six-month compulsory military service for boys and girls.

Difficulties and Threats

European armed forces are struggling to find potential recruits as European societies age over the past few years.

Under these circumstances, armies may be forced to accept recruits with less stringent standards than those they have been accustomed to for decades, which could raise concerns about the ability of European armies to maintain their combat readiness in the future.

For example, Germany has seen a decline in the number of applicants to the army, despite efforts to increase recruitment, including the use of military recruitment centers and advertising campaigns.

Financial incentives play a role in convincing recruits to stay in the armed forces, so many countries have been keen to prepare financial programs that encourage young people to join their armed forces.

On a related side, there are reports that several European countries are trying to attract immigrants residing in their territories to join the army and obtain citizenship after a few years of service.

In Germany, the government is considering recruiting foreign nationals into the army to address a shortage of recruits, especially in technical and medical specialties.

However, this proposal still faces political and social objections, as some see it as a threat to national identity and the unity of the army.

In France, the government has announced a plan to attract immigrants to join the army, where they will be granted French citizenship after three years of service.

However, this approach is also facing opposition from some political parties who see it as a threat to national cohesion.

In Spain, laws have been amended to allow immigrants from Latin American countries to join the army and obtain citizenship after two years of service.

European countries’ efforts to strengthen their militaries in the face of the growing threat from Russia have been hampered by the reluctance of their young people to join the armed forces.

There has been widespread debate recently about reintroducing compulsory military service, with some arguing that conscription interferes with individual freedoms, while others see it as necessary to ensure state security.

A recent Gallup poll found that only 32% of EU citizens would be willing to defend their country in the event of war.

It is noteworthy that the war in Ukraine had revealed the extent of the flabbiness of European armies, after decades of those countries’ reliance on NATO, and thus on the United States, to defend them in the event of any military threat on their territory.

While this option is currently facing serious threats, after the possibility of Republican Donald Trump returning to the White House, through the elections scheduled for next November.

Trump had previously threatened, last February, that if he returned to the presidency, he might encourage Russia to attack NATO member states that do not fulfill their financial obligations.

In turn, journalist Basil Nasser explained in a statement to Al-Estiklal that “the countries of the old continent fear a direct conflict with Russia, and they want to be prepared for that scenario by re-imposing compulsory conscription.”

However, he pointed out that there are political and social challenges that stand in the way of some of those countries, including that the ideological distance between European society as a whole and the military forces has become wider in recent years.

He added that “recent studies have shown that young European civilians overwhelmingly oppose wars, increase military spending, and military operations abroad.”