Expert Doubts Croatia Can Restore Conscript Army

Current discussion in Croatia on re-introducing military conscription is "not serious" and shows a lack of proper analysis and preparation, a military analyst, Igor Tabak, told BIRN.

"The military doesn't serve itself and is financed from the state budget by the citizens - so starting such a debate without taking into account the basis for such a decision is frivolous," he said.

At a session of parliament's committee for defence on Wednesday, MPs from the main  governing party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, proposed reintroducing conscription.

The HDZ's partner in government, the centre-right Bridge of the Independent Lists, MOST, said it would only support conscription if it was undertaken "on a voluntary basis".

However, some smaller right-wing parties in the government are eager to see the return of mandatory military service.

Pero Coric, MP for the Croatian Party of Rights "Ante Starcevic", said restoring conscription had become nececessary because of Croatia's "insecure surroundings", noting the migrant crisis and rocky relations with neighbouring Serbia, with which Croatia was at war in the 1990s.

"We must not relax; he who is bitten by the snake fears the lizard," he opined. "Like Israel, we're located in strange surroundings," he said.

The new HDZ Defence Minister, Josip Buljevic, meanwhile said he was for compulsory military service "in principle" - but added that there was no money for it at moment, since it would cost the state an extra 65 million euro annually.

In April, President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic said that she would welcome compulsory military service that would last for eight weeks.

Croatia, which joined NATO in 2009, used to have compulsory military service for all men between 18...