The return of Conscription in Europe <\/p>\n
Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, and especially since the Russian full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several countries, such as Sweden, Lithuania, and Latvia, have reintroduced conscription. At the same time, several other countries are planning or considering bringing back military service and investing in military training due to fears of a possible Russian attack on NATO, as well as uncertainty about the United States\u2019 commitment to Europe’s safety, as Trump recently announced his plans to annex Greenland, an autonomous territory in Denmark, a NATO member. In some cases, conscription is compulsory, as in Croatia; in others, it is voluntary, as in France; and in Germany’s case, it is a combination of both.<\/p>\n
This marks a near-complete reversal from the environment that prevailed across the EU until recently, when most European countries chose to abolish conscription altogether and reduce their defence budgets, believing that with the USSR gone, the West had definitively won the Cold War, thus there was no need to invest in defence, until now.<\/p>\n
The return of military service is quite polarising, especially among Gen Z. For example, in Germany, about 3,000 people<\/a> have taken to the streets of Berlin to protest against the reintroduction of conscription. For much of European Gen Z, the idea of defending their country and having their coffin draped with the national flag is not appealing at all.<\/p>\n The harsh reality & The notorious \u00ab\u00a0I-5\u00a0\u00bb <\/p>\n Greece\u2019s armed forces have lost much of their former prestige among Greek youth, despite the government\u2019s efforts. The average young Greek is not impressed by the Belharra frigates, the Rafale fighter jets, the F-16s, the military cooperation with Israel, or the images from parades featuring young male soldiers in khaki uniforms. For much of Greek Gen Z, it all feels like smoke and mirrors, because they associate the Greek army with poor organisation, low wages, harsh working conditions, no work-life balance, limited career prospects, and a waste of public money.<\/p>\n In the past, being a soldier was among the most prestigious professions in the country and was relatively well paid compared to jobs in the private sector. This is no longer the case. Joining the Greek army is no longer considered attractive, nor is it seen as a good career path for many Greeks.<\/p>\n Greece\u2019s armed forces are facing a recruitment crisis, as military academies struggle to fill places, and a significant number of cadets abandon their studies because they cannot adapt to the military environment. At the same time, more and more Greeks are avoiding conscription. Around 35,000 Greeks<\/a> have received an \u201cI-5\u201d deferment in the last three years\u2014a document that confirms they are officially unfit for military service for health reasons\u2014while about 38,980 Greeks have indefinitely postponed their service due to living abroad. Unlike some other countries, Greece does not offer an alternative form of service; therefore, young Greek men have only two options: either serve or evade military service.<\/p>\n While many young Greeks do have genuine medical reasons preventing them from serving, others are allegedly bribing doctors to falsely certify mental or physical problems they do not actually have. This situation has angered<\/a> the Minister of Defence, Nikos Dendias, who described it as a \u201cfactory of military service postponements\u201d and promised to limit this phenomenon by granting the \u201cI-5\u201d deferment only to people with serious and proven health problems.<\/p>\n Beyond health and psychological issues, other reasons many Greek men avoid conscription include personal and religious beliefs, as well as the desire to focus on their studies, careers, and personal lives.<\/p>\n Some argue that the government has made Greece\u2019s armed forces unattractive to young people; others claim that Greek Gen Z lacks patriotic sentiment. The reality is far more complex.<\/p>\n Greece’s armed forces already have 419,000 personnel, of which 142,ooo are soldiers and 221,000 reservists. Is that enough to be prepared for an attack by Turkey, but also Russia? Based on recent news, it appears not to be. With demographic collapse in full swing, it’s going to be a hard task, and robots are not gonna join the Greek Army anytime soon, because soldiers will be among the last jobs that will be replaced by AI.<\/p>\n The latest reforms & the reactions <\/p>\n