Serbia to Resume Compulsory Military Service 14 Years After Abolition

On 20 September, the Serbian government supported the reinstatement of compulsory military service, which was abolished in the country 14 years ago.
This is reported by Euractiv.
In a statement, the Serbian government said it would set up a working group to launch the process of reintroducing compulsory military service.
According to the plan, Serbian men will undergo compulsory military service, which will consist of 60 days of training and 15 days of exercises. For women, the service will be voluntary.
Some military experts had previously criticised the plan, saying it would be expensive and that such a short period of service would not make a significant contribution to Serbia's defence capability.
However, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic welcomed the decision as an important step to improve the country's defence capabilities.
Last week, when announcing his intention to resume military service, Vucic said that Serbia has no intention of attacking anyone, ‘but we want to ward off those who threaten us’.
Serbia's decision coincides with a similar move by neighbouring NATO member Croatia, which plans to reintroduce compulsory conscription from 1 January 2025.