Returning of Compulsory Military Service – Decision Addendum

Abstract

The obligation to serve in the Serbian Armed Forces was suspended ending with the last batch of soldiers sent in 2010, and it also referred to recruits who, due to conscientious objection, replaced military service with civilian service. This decision was carried out on 1 January 2011, and since then military service has been based on the principle of voluntariness. Ten years later, judging by the statements of state officials and the extensive media space which this topic occupies, we are never closer to returning to compulsory military service. Recognising the fact that the ‘thawing’ of military service would have significant counteractions not only on the defense system but also on the broader context of community and individual life, this paper emphasises the importance of a nuanced approach to the problem. The experiences of the countries that have returned to military service are precious, so at the beginning of the paper, all the attention is aimed at that direction. The experiences of countries with a continuous duration of military service are also analysed, on the examples of those who carry out this service at full capacity and those who have formally compulsory military service, but whose armed forces are almost 100% replenished with volunteers. The context of the possible return of compulsory military service in Serbia is viewed from the point of several supremacist aspects important for decision-making, such as the current security situation and several complementary aspects, such as economic, functional and legal. It is important to point out that the authors do not value themselves in this paper, but the key intention of the paper is to understand a number of factors that must be taken into account when deciding on this issue.