As of January 1, 2025, Croatia will reintroduce military conscription. Those who qualify will have to undergo two months of training with the army. Currently, the voluntary military service system has been in place in the country since 2008.
“We have increased the salaries of the military personnel,” said Croatian Defence Minister Ivan Anusic. “We are thinking of everything: more material, but also a higher daily wage and other things they are entitled to.”
The minister also points out that his country wants to continue investing more in the Croatian army. “The process of modernizing and expanding our armed forces is going as planned,” Anusic added.
The decision comes at a “moment of tension” in Europe and the Balkans, not least because of Russian aggression in Ukraine, but also because of the Balkan countries’ greater investment in their armed forces.
Serbia in particular, which still maintains good relations with the Kremlin, is being closely watched. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Serbia is said to be supplied with many weapons from Russia, Belarus and China. Croatia is also increasing its military capabilities and investments, but it cannot follow the Serbian government.
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