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Short conscription period, big ambitions: Croatia reinstates compulsory military service

Paulina Wankiewicz-Kłoczko

On 24 October, the Croatian parliament (Sabor) adopted a law reinstating compulsory military service (temeljna vojna obuka) after a 17-year hiatus. From January 2026, conscription will be mandatory for men aged 19 to 29, while women will have the option to volunteer. The basic training will last eight weeks. Recruits will receive a monthly net allowance of €1,100, and the period of service will count towards their employment record. Completion of the training will also confer an advantage in recruitment for public administration posts. For those claiming conscientious objection, a civilian alternative to military training will be provided. This programme will last longer (three months) and offer lower pay, approximately €250 less than the standard military allowance.

The basic training will cover key skills such as the handling of firearms, fundamentals of military tactics, communications, and physical preparation. The plan envisages the annual conscription of around 4,000 recruits, divided into five training cycles of 800 individuals each. According to preliminary estimates, the reinstatement of mandatory military service will cost the Croatian Ministry of Defence approximately €20 million annually.

The reinstatement of conscription reflects Zagreb’s growing awareness of security threats in Europe and its immediate neighbourhood. Croatia aspires to become a regional leader in security within the Western Balkans and plans to gradually increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030. The decision to reinstate conscription – abolished after the wars of the 1990s – is also a response to pressure from the national-conservative Homeland Movement (Domovinski Pokret), which has been a coalition partner of the centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) since 2024.

Commentary

  • The reinstatement of compulsory military service in Croatia constitutes an attempt to address the deteriorating security situation in Europe following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Until February 2022, Croatians had shown limited concern over threats to NATO’s eastern flank. The Russian invasion acted as a catalyst for greater engagement in strengthening allied, national, and regional security. From the perspective of the Croatian Ministry of Defence, reinstating universal conscription represents an important instrument for rebuilding and replenishing the country’s reserve personnel resources, which currently number approximately 18,000. The measure is also designed to stimulate recruitment into the professional component of the Croatian Armed Forces, which at present comprise roughly 15,000 personnel. A segment of the opposition that voted against the law reinstating compulsory service has highlighted the discriminatory nature of certain provisions, such as preferential treatment in public-sector employment and lower pay for those opting for the civilian version of the training. Critics have also argued that the two-month programme is costly and too brief to make a meaningful contribution to national defence capabilities (prior to 2008, it lasted six months). Croatia’s compulsory military service will thus be the shortest among NATO member states that have introduced conscription.
  • The authorities in Zagreb have announced an increase in defence spending in line with Croatia’s commitments within NATO. Defence Minister Ivan Anušić has pledged that by the end of 2027 the country will allocate 2.5% of its GDP annually to defence, rising to 3% by 2030. It was only in 2025 that Croatia reached the 2% benchmark, equivalent to approximately €1.5 billion. The additional funds are to be allocated to the modernisation of the armed forces. Croatia is systematically replacing its Soviet- and Yugoslav-era equipment with NATO-standard hardware. In recent years, it has acquired 12 French Rafale fighter jets, 10 American UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters (two of which were donated), 89 M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and other related equipment. Planned purchases also include eight HIMARS rocket artillery launchers, 18 CAESAR self-propelled howitzers, 44 German Leopard 2A8 tanks, and 420 Czech Tatra Force military trucks.
  • Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has acted as a catalyst for Croatia’s deeper engagement in regional security affairs. From Zagreb’s perspective, the main threats to national security stem from the unstable political situation in neighbouring states: Serbian separatism in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mass protests in Serbia, and armed incidents in Kosovo. Additional risks arise from the Balkan migration route, the prevalence of organised crime across the region, and the increasing frequency of natural disasters linked to climate change. In March, the defence ministers of Croatia, Albania, and Kosovo signed a declaration in Tirana on defence and security cooperation. The document commits the three countries to strengthening collaboration in joint training, exercises, procurement, and defence-industrial cooperation. A similar agreement – primarily aimed at reinforcing the defence industries of both countries – was concluded between Croatia and Slovenia in September. Zagreb’s growing involvement in regional security policy has drawn criticism from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who claims that these actions are directed against Serbia’s population. Although Vučić has himself expressed an intention to reintroduce compulsory military service, such a step appears improbable given Serbia’s challenging domestic situation and the year-long wave of protests.