Croatia becomes fourth NATO country with compulsory military service

Croatia has officially reintroduced mandatory military service, making it the fourth NATO member state to do so and underscoring a profound shift in the region’s approach to national defence. The country’s parliament approved amendments to its defence law reinstating a two-month basic military training programme for young men.

The move comes amid heightened geopolitical tension following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the escalating security challenges in the Balkans. By re-instituting conscription – after having abolished it in 2008, Croatia is signalling a renewed willingness to invest in broad-based defence preparedness rather than relying solely on a volunteer professional army.

A distinctive step in Europe’s defence recalibration

While Greece, Turkey and Denmark already maintain mandatory military service, Croatia now joins them in reversing a long-standing trend towards professional forces. The trend is part of a wider European reassessment of defence models, with nations increasingly citing hybrid threats, information warfare and spill-over from Ukraine as drivers of change.

Under the new law, all 18-year-old Croatian men will be registered and considered for a two-months service in the calendar year in which they turn 19. Exemptions are provided for those with dual nationality, students at police academies, clergy, and others under specific conditions. Women remain exempt from compulsory service but can volunteer. Conscientious objectors may instead undergo up to a four-month civil protection alternative.

The training is set to begin next year, with initial calls likely directed to those born in 2007. The government has placed its initial annual target at around 4,000 recruits, across five intakes, in barracks located in Knin, Slunj and Požega.

Strategic symbolism and practical readiness

Beyond its operational implications, Croatia’s decision holds significant symbolic weight. In an era where the boundary between domestic defence posture and external security commitments is increasingly blurred, the reintroduction of conscription is as much about signalling collective intent as about capacity. Europe’s recorded military service list now grows, reinforcing that enlargement, alliance commitments and national defence are part of a coherent broader strategy.

That being said, the policy is designed to be manageable. With a population of around 4 million and a GDP modest by continental standards, Croatia’s decision carries limited fiscal or institutional burden. The two-month training regime is intended as a cost-efficient boost to crisis-response capability rather than a full return to Cold War-style mass mobilisation.

However, re-introducing conscription is not without hurdles. The government must rapidly scale up infrastructure, adjust training logistics and integrate young recruits into a defence force that has operated on a professional basis for nearly two decades. Equally, political continuity is crucial: the change must survive beyond short-term fixes and be embedded as part of a broader societal and institutional resilience strategy.

Croatia’s move to re-introduce conscription demonstrates a renewed willingness among EU and NATO states to revisit foundational defence assumptions in light of shifting threats. It suggests a recognition that larger armies or heavier tanks are not the only path to resilience; that integrating young citizens into national crisis frameworks adds value in unpredictability.

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Sources: BGNES, AP, Reuters, Euronews

Caption: A handout photo made available by the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia shows Croatian army soldiers, among them one carrying a RGW90 disposable weapon system (C), taking part in the ‘Combat Power 25’ exercise in Slunj, Croatia, 17 September 2025. The military drill, which began on 12 September and will last until 19 September, is the largest joint military exercise since 2018, according to the country’s defense ministry. EPA/TOMISLAV BUSLJETA/OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF CROATIA