2024-09-15 08:55:09
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, signed the return of compulsory military service in the country.
“As the supreme commander and president of the republic, I signed my consent to regular military service for 75 days. I believe that the government will accept this decision, because Serbia needs a strong army to deter those who threaten us,” said the Serbian head of state , quoted by the official “Politics”.
“I hope you all understand how much we need a strong army, how many more weapons we will have to buy, produce, create. Our desire is not to attack anyone, but to deter all those who threaten us on a daily basis,” Vucic said at the promotion ceremony of 177 army cadets to their first officer ranks.
Military service will be compulsory for men and voluntary for women. Belgrade abolished conscription in 2011 and since then has relied on a professional army, writes BGNES.
On September 13, Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic announced that “the government is ready to very quickly submit the proposal for the return of compulsory military service to the Serbian parliament for a vote.”
“Yes” from the MPs is only a formality, as Vucic’s “Serbian Progressive Party” has a solid majority.
The Prime Minister is of the opinion that the decision is useful both for the youth themselves and for the entire country.
“This is not preparation for wars and conflicts, but concern for the country. In this way, our state does not eliminate the professional staff, which is the strike force of the Serbian armed forces. In this way, we will restore the numbers of the reserve, because we have 11-12 generations who have not served in the army. No one’s life will be ruined in 75 days. During this time, the young recruits will have a stipend, the barracks will be adapted for today’s time,” Vucevic added.
The measure is expected to burden the state budget of Serbia by around 100 million euros. Part of the money will be invested in the restoration of barracks in the country.