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Croatia reintroduces compulsory military service after nearly two decades
After almost 20 years without compulsory military service, Croatia has begun reintroducing conscription for young men, reflecting a broader reassessment of security policy across the Balkans and Central Europe.
According to Deutsche Welle, in early January 2026, around 1,200 Croatian male school leavers received call-up papers for two months of mandatory military service, becoming the first generation to be drafted since conscription was abolished in 2008, shortly before the country joined NATO.
At the time, Croatia’s goal was to professionalize its armed forces and move away from mass conscription. Nearly two decades later, shifting geopolitical realities have prompted a reversal.
War is closer to home than before
While Croatia is not directly involved in the war in Ukraine, the conflict no longer feels distant. With Hungary the only country separating Croatia from Ukraine, regional security concerns have intensified.
A 2022 incident reinforced this sense of vulnerability when an unidentified drone—believed to be linked to the war in Ukraine—crashed in Zagreb. Although it caused limited damage, it had a profound psychological impact on policymakers.
Croatia’s military leadership has also expressed concern about manpower. The country currently relies on fewer than 15,000 active-duty soldiers, a number seen as insufficient for long-term national defense.
Broad political and public support
The proposal to reinstate conscription was introduced ahead of Croatia’s 2024 parliamentary elections. Defense Minister Ivan Anušić argued that military service would help young men develop discipline while preparing society for “any major threat.”
Public reaction has been largely supportive. Opinion polls showed that around 70% of Croatians backed the move, and the governing HDZ party was re-elected. The necessary legislation passed parliament in October 2025 with a strong majority, facing only limited opposition.
Notably, the initial rollout has triggered little public protest, and experts suggest demand may even exceed the number of available training slots.
Read also: Mysterious military helicopter crash: Hungarian ministry silent, Croatia speaks out
A wider trend in the former Yugoslavia
Croatia’s decision fits into a broader regional debate. Several countries that emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia are reconsidering conscription, echoing practices from the socialist era, when young men typically served one year in the military.
This is just good, common sense. You never know.
Besides, a stint in the military, so long as it’s proper military training and not the modern-day mollycoddling, can instill in young men a dose of humility, (self-)respect, (self-)discipline, consideration, and many other traits sorely lacking among the younger generations today.
That said, I’d be damned if I’d agree to be deployed to a place like Ukraine or even farther, to potentially die and be replaced by the third-world illegals that the E.U., etc. have been importing by the million in recent years. If such orders ever come, I hope young European men refuse them en masse.