Why is mandatory military service making a comeback in Europe?
If you’re under 40 and living in Europe, the odds of being called up for military service are rising.
Three EU countries have brought back conscription in recent years and many more are debating whether they should follow suit.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, growing instability in the Middle East, and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have all shaken up the global order pushing Europe to rethink its preparation for war.
Nine member states currently have conscription (Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden) and Croatia is set to join them next year.
However, the idea of reintroducing conscription is often not popular with the people it will affect. A recent poll of nine European countries by the European Council on Foreign Relations found that several countries, including France, Germany and Poland, support the idea, but this support usually disappears in the 18-29 age group.
Watch our video above to learn more about the state of play with conscription across the continent.
