The idea of starting military conscription has appeared sporadically in Croatian public media in recent weeks, and now Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has come out in support of the idea.

In public comments, Prime Minister Plenković speaks of military conscription as though it is a sure thing, and the public is being deceived by questionable studies and analyses.

The introduction of military conscription is harmful to Croatia and damages its true national interests: modernization of education, reducing unemployment and social inequalities.

A country that for 26 years has failed to modernize the education system in a way to include peace and civic education, and in which youth unemployment is among the highest in the European Union, is offering military service to the young people instead of investing in solution of these problems!

Military waste

While one in five people in Croatia between the ages of 15 and 35 does not work and is not educated, the first and primary priority of the government should be to promote employment, rather than investing in the popularization of the armed forces and war.

It is estimated that such a popularization of the military and the militarization of Croatian citizens would cost 300-400 million kuna (40.3-53.7 million euros) per year, while the cost of the comprehensive reform of the Croatian education system in the next five years would be 300 million kuna.

Before the compulsory military service was suspended in 2006, 54 percent of young men refused to serve because of conscientious objection – an important indicator for those who now want to impose military training on young people. It is important to remind Croatian citizens, but also those who are pushing us into war, that Article 47 of the Croatian Constitution allows anyone to raise an objection of conscience and refuse to serve in the army.