Foreign Policy: Fearing Russia… EU countries discuss return to compulsory military service
European Union countries are beginning to discuss reinstating conscription, amid mounting pressure to bolster defense capabilities amid growing security threats from Russia, worsening crises in the Middle East, and declining confidence in the United States’ commitment to protecting Europe, Foreign Policy magazine reported.
The Foreign Policy’s report indicated that these discussions come at a time when Europe is facing major challenges in the field of security and defense, as compulsory conscription has been absent from the agendas of many European countries since the end of the Cold War, in favor of smaller professional armies.
However today, conscription is back on the table, due to changing geopolitical circumstances.
“For the first time since I’ve been here, allies are talking about how to improve recruitment policies and reduce barriers to joining, including considering reintroducing conscription,” a senior NATO official told the Foreign Policy.
Historically, conscription was widespread in most European countries, but these countries have gradually begun to abandon it.
The United Kingdom was the first to abolish national service in 1960, followed by countries such as France and the Netherlands in the 1990s, while Finland and Switzerland are the only two countries that have maintained this system to this day.
With the escalation of Russian threats, especially in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the increasing chaos in the Middle East, the report indicated that many European countries have begun to rethink their defense strategies, including the possibility of returning to compulsory conscription.
“There have been discussions about this issue for a long time, but before Trump, there was no real prospect of the United States abandoning the protection of Europe or NATO,” said Walter Landgraf, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
“Now, the concerns are real, unless Europe shows its willing to spend more and work harder to strengthen its defenses… Conscription is a concrete way to do that”.
The report also added that European countries realize that they cannot rely solely on their current military forces to defend the continent without US support, reflecting the urgent need for some countries to enhance their defense capabilities.
“If we are investing in new weapons systems and taking cyber and hybrid warfare seriously, we need people trained to do these jobs,” the Foreign Policy quoted a European security official as saying.
On the other hand, the report indicated that some NATO military leaders oppose the return to compulsory recruitment, as they believe that recruits may not be trained enough to achieve the required efficiency.
Although NATO cannot impose conscription policies on member states, discussions have begun on how best to implement them and make them more attractive to countries.
The Foreign Policy concluded the report with a note from Professor Haakon Lund Sakse, of the Norwegian Defense College, who said, “I think more European countries will have to consider conscription if they are to achieve their defense objectives, especially in regions where there is experience, such as northern and eastern Europe… The question remains how to convince countries like Germany, which are already struggling to meet their defense spending targets”.
