After nearly two decades, young Croatians are being called up again for military service. Why did Croatia reverse its decision to abolish conscription, and could other Balkan countries follow suit?
The new year brings an old challenge in a new form for Croatia’s youth. In early 2026, around 1,200 young people received letters notifying them of a two-month compulsory military service.
They are the first generation to face mandatory military service since it was abolished in 2008, a year before Croatia joined NATO. At the time, the goal was to professionalize the armed forces and move away from national conscription.
Now, with only Hungary separating Croatia from Ukraine, the prospect of armed conflict feels closer. In 2022, a drone—possibly Ukrainian, but never officially identified—crashed in Zagreb. It caused minimal damage, but it clearly raised concerns among citizens.
Broad Support for Mandatory Military Service
The Croatian government realized it could rely on fewer than 15,000 active military personnel. Ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections, it proposed the reinstatement of mandatory military service for young men who had left school.
Defense Minister Ivan Anušić stated that the program would help young people change their “bad habits” and prepare them for “any major threat.”
Surveys showed widespread public support, with seven out of ten Croatians in favor. Voters re-elected the HDZ party, which has now implemented the policy. The necessary legislation was quickly approved in Parliament in October 2025, with 84 deputies in favor and only 11 against.
Contact with the first group of recruits began immediately, with few protests.
“I see no obstacle to compulsory military service,” said Gordan Akrap, Deputy Rector of the University of Defense and Security “Franjo Tudjman” in Croatia.
“There will be more people wanting to participate than can be registered, because the number is currently limited,” he added.
He also addressed critics: “Some extreme leftist populist groups say we should invest in kindergartens and such. But the truth is, someone must protect the kindergartens, our European way of life, and our democracy—and ultimately, this can be done by the army.”
A Wider Regional Trend
Croatia’s return to mandatory military service is part of a broader trend in the former Yugoslav countries. Some have considered reinstating conscription, recalling the days of Josip Broz Tito’s socialist regime, when young people served one year in the Yugoslav People’s Army, creating a considerable fighting force.
Before the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, two-thirds of land forces were conscripts, with one million trained reservists available.
After the Yugoslav wars, newly independent states gradually abolished conscription. Slovenia was the first, ending mandatory service in 2003; the last Serbian conscripts completed service in 2010.
With EU membership in sight—or already achieved—the perceived need for a force requiring months of training for all youth seemed low.
However, even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the situation was changing. Slovenia has been discussing reinstating conscription. In 2020, the parties forming the new right-wing nationalist government included compulsory service in their coalition agreement. Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, known as Defense Minister during Slovenia’s Ten-Day War in 1991, argued that the country’s armed forces, with only 7,000 troops, could not defend the nation from an attack, and that young people did not know how to use weapons.
The current center-left government under Robert Golob has not embraced this idea, but parliamentary elections are planned for March, with Janša’s SDS party leading in opinion polls.
Could Serbia Follow?
In Serbia, the government has discussed reinstating mandatory military service for several years. While deadlines have passed without any conscription, this could change in 2026, as Defense Minister Bratislav Gašić stated that legislation will soon be presented to Parliament.
As Balkan countries increase military spending and personnel, the question arises: should the rest of Europe be concerned?
Toby Vogel, of the research center Council for Democratization Policy, believes the likelihood of a real conflict remains low.
“The military aspect is mostly about preparedness, not concrete planning, and certainly not offensive planning,” he told DW. “Serbia will not attack Croatia, and Croatia will not invade Serbia.”
“In a situation where the overall environment is unstable and unpredictable, I think governments are acting cautiously, taking preventive measures and putting in place the elements necessary for a more strategic approach to international affairs,” Vogel added. “But it is a return to the past.”
