The Balkans Call Again: Mandatory Military Service Returns to Croatia and Serbia
In October last year, the Croatian Parliament approved amendments to the laws on defense and service in the armed forces, reintroducing compulsory military service. This had been… 
In October last year, the Croatian Parliament approved amendments to the laws on defense and service in the armed forces, reintroducing compulsory military service. This had been suspended in 2008. However, its new form differs significantly from the previous one. While at the beginning of the century, service applied to virtually all men who had just reached the age of majority and lasted six months, today conscripts are called up selectively and only for two months of basic training.
Croatian model of selective service
The introduction of this model was relatively easy. Croatia never stopped passively registering citizens for possible national defense purposes, and the army…
