Several European Union (EU) countries are considering the possibility of reintroducing universal military conscription to address personnel shortages in their armed forces. This was reported by Politico.
According to the publication, due to the armed conflict in Ukraine, European countries are forced to think about strengthening their own forces. Croatia is focused on reintroducing universal military conscription. Denmark wants to expand it by calling up women.
Germany is also discussing the introduction of mandatory service for the population due to personnel shortages in the armed forces. In 2023, about 1,537 soldiers left the Bundeswehr.
France, on the other hand, intends to focus on persuading serving military personnel not to resign, making military service more attractive to citizens.
French Minister of Defense Sébastien Lecornu stated that at NATO meetings, member countries often talk about equipment, but now they also talk about the retention of military personnel in the ranks of the armed forces.
Earlier, the European Commission proposed to create a new European agency responsible for the development of the defense industry.
