Croatia brings back military conscription amid Russian aggression

Croatia’s parliament on Friday voted to reintroduce compulsory military service in the European Union and NATO member country.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in Europe following the Russian aggression against Ukraine , as well as an apparent arms race and military buildup in the Balkans , which went through a bloody war in the 1990s.

Lawmakers approved legal changes in a 84-11 vote and with 30 abstentions in the 151-member parliament. The army service will last two months and provide “basic military training,” public broadcaster HRT said.

This decision marks a return to conscription, which was suspended in 2008 when the country shifted to a volunteer system.

Croatia’s Defense Ministry said the aim is to teach young people basic skills and knowledge that are “needed in crisis situations, so they would contribute to national security.”

Authorities will start calling conscripts born in 2007 for medical checkups by the end of the year. Conscripts will receive a salary, and conscientious objectors can choose civilian service instead, the HRT report said.

Croatia has been boosting its armed forces at a time when many European countries fear that the war in Ukraine could spill over or that they could face an attack from Russia.

Croatia held a big military parade in July marking a major victory from the 1991-95 war that followed its independence from the former Yugoslavia. Relations with wartime foe Serbia have remained tense since the 1990s.

克罗地亚议会周五投票决定在欧盟和北约成员国克罗地亚重新引入义务兵役制。

此举正值俄罗斯侵略乌克兰导致欧洲局势高度紧张之际，同时巴尔干地区也出现了明显的军备竞赛和军事集结，而巴尔干地区在 20 世纪 90 年代曾经历过一场血腥战争。

在151名议员组成的议会中，立法者以84票赞成、11票反对、30票弃权的表决结果通过了法律修改。公共广播公司HRT报道称，此次兵役将持续两个月，并提供“基础军事训练”。

这一决定标志着该国恢复征兵制，该制度于 2008 年暂停，当时该国转向志愿兵役制。

克罗地亚国防部表示，此举旨在教授年轻人“在危机情况下所需的”基本技能和知识，以便他们能够为国家安全做出贡献。

据人权观察组织（HRT）报道，当局将于年底前开始召集2007年出生的应征入伍者进行体检。应征入伍者将领取薪水，而出于良心拒服兵役者可以选择从事文职工作。

在许多欧洲国家担心乌克兰战争可能蔓延或面临俄罗斯攻击之际，克罗地亚一直在加强其武装力量。

克罗地亚于7月举行了盛大的阅兵式，庆祝在1991年至1995年独立战争中取得的重大胜利。这场战争发生在克罗地亚脱离前南斯拉夫之后。自20世纪90年代以来，克罗地亚与战时宿敌塞尔维亚的关系一直处于紧张状态。