ZAGREB: Croatian lawmakers on Friday voted to reintroduce mandatory military service to boost the Balkan nation’s defense amid unrest across the globe including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Zagreb abolished military conscription in 2008, a year before joining NATO, in an effort to professionalize its military.
But top officials have since argued that international tensions require the restoration of basic military training to bolster Croatia’s defense forces.
“We are seeing a rise in various types of threats ... that demand swift and effective action from the broader community,” Defense Minister Ivan Anusic, from the ruling conservative HDZ party, told the lawmakers this week.
“In the face of any threat, defending the country is crucial,” he stressed.
