Croatia’s government has submitted amendments to its Defence Act and Armed Forces Service Act to parliament that would reintroduce basic military training for young citizens, 17 years after the country abolished compulsory military service.

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ivan Anušić said the move comes in response to shifting security conditions across Europe. If approved by parliament, the reforms would become Croatia’s most significant overhaul of its defence framework since joining Nato in 2009.

“Basic military training is being introduced 17 years after the abolition of compulsory military service,” Anušić told a government session.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the amendments were “a response to the changed security circumstances to which everyone across Europe is seeking answers”, a government statement said. 

Under the proposal, two months of basic training will be required for conscripts in the year they turn 19, with the option for older volunteers up to age 30 to participate. Women would not be subject to the obligation but could enrol voluntarily. Training will be conducted at facilities in Knin, Slunj and Požega, with up to 800 conscripts per intake and as many as five intakes per year.

Those objecting to military service on religious or moral grounds could opt for civilian service in civil protection or local government roles, lasting three to four months.

Conscripts will receive a monthly allowance equal to 90% of a soldier’s pay, around €1,100, and their training period will count toward work experience.

The amendments also provide employment preferences for those who complete basic or voluntary training when applying for public sector positions under equal conditions.

Anušić said the draft laws include measures to support active military personnel under the age of 45 who lack housing near their places of service in cities such as Knin, Benkovac, Gospić, Petrinja and Našice.

The proposals also expand parliamentary oversight of major defence procurements, requiring the Defence Committee to review purchases worth more than €15mn before the Ministry of Defence launches the tender process.

As bne IntelliNews has reported, several countries in the Western Balkans are ramping up their military capacities. The build-up is not a sudden reaction but part of a decade-long trend that has recently accelerated.

Croatia and Serbia have both announced significant defence spending increases, while Albania and Kosovo are expanding their armed forces and embarking on domestic defence production projects. Meanwhile, the security situation in Bosnia continues to deteriorate, raising alarms about regional stability.