President Milanović on introduction of compulsory military service: the decision can be made only by the highest constitutional bodies

“The present times are challenging, dangerous and potentially hazardous, the most dangerous since the 1962 Cuban crisis. However, that crisis lasted 13 days, this one 23 months. In that situation the Croatian Army and Croatian politics, homeland politics must first and foremost consider Croatian interests and Croatian security. Of course, they are aware that they must be loyal and fair to their allies, but not be in the position to be responsible for the decisions and moves of others that can be far-reaching and dangerous”, the President of the Republic and Commander in Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces Zoran Milanović stated today at the graduation ceremony of the students of the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman Defence Academy“ military schools.

Warning that this is a reality that should be stated, President Milanović added: “We don’t know when that situation will end. It can end peacefully, what I wish and what I am committed to as much as I can in the hope that justice will prevail, that the attacked will be protected, that the attacker will ultimately suffer major consequences”.

President Milanović further talked about the current state in the Armed Forces. “We have been building our professional army for years, since 2008, an exclusively professional army with a small number of those who apply for voluntary military training. Some of them choose a military profession. But at this time in Croatia, we lack 2,500 NCOs without whom there is no army. And that’s not the only thing without which there is no army. There is no army without soldiers and we lack 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers. We have enough officers. This is a misfortune and a demographic hole or a structural hole that all Western armies face, all our allies. Nobody succeeds in replenishing the army in accordance with the plans and projections as it should be”, said the President, who believes that people are scared because of the current situation in the world and the war in Ukraine, and all this is driving them away from military service.

In this context he expressed his view regarding the introduction of compulsory military service in Croatia, which has been announced for some time. “In Croatia, there has been talk of compulsory military service for months, although the Croatian Constitution leaves very little room for it. Compulsory military service was abolished because a small number opted for military service, while everyone chose civilian service. Now that there is a lot of talk about this, one should be reasonable and responsible. Do we have the possibilities for that? It is a topic for discussion at the highest and most responsible level, to conclude if we can do it. And if we can, how? Do we have enough soldiers, how do we rate in terms of professional soldiers, do we have enough NCOs and where will these people go when the conscripts come to train for a few months. These are questions to which clear answers should be given and then a decision should be made,” said President Milanović.

And the decision on compulsory military service can be made, warned President Milanović, “only at the highest and constitutional bodies that are provided for it, and not within some kind of debate clubs”. “We must seek answers to such capital questions through joint efforts, by putting our heads together, with the same purpose and goal, which is the defence of the Homeland – which is the key task of the Croatian Army,” said the President of the Republic.

Today at the graduation ceremony held at the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman Defence Academy“ 130 students from Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Germany received their diplomas. The President of the Republic presented diplomas to the students and the cadets of the Basic Officers’ School, and first officer’s ranks to the new officers of the Armed Forces. The rank of Second Lieutenant was bestowed upon 57 students of the 23^rd generation of the Basic Officer Training of the “Andrija Matijaš Pauk“ Officer’s School and 5 candidates cadets of the 16^th and 17^th generation of military pilots of the Croatian Air Force: Stjepan Ergović, Mario Galović, Ivan Maras-Miladinov, Stjepan Pandžić, David Pejaković, Manuela Pužar, Dijana  Žabić, Petar Gregorović, Matej Ravlić, Antonio Sučić,  Toni Božić, Luka Grgić, Jerko Marušić,  Marin Mikulić, Antonija Pintarić, Karlo Fabijan, Lea Biloglav,  Ana Ćenan, Antea Ivičević, Petricija Knežić, Antonija Lemo, Ivana Novaković, Lucija Piršljin, Lucija Tošić, Ivana Vučko, Stipe Ćurković, Ivan Dajak, Antonio Knežević, Josip Kovačević, Branimir Kraljiček, Denis Kuzminski, Vladimir Leko, Borna Marinić, Petar Mihaljević, Emil Pajalić, Lovro Perković, Jure Šarić, Anamarija Biočić, Ivana Mijač, Borna Bakran, Karlo Kinčić, Borna Mazija, Josip Modrušan, Petra Delalić, Nikolina Knežević, Ivan Hadžić, Ivan Hodak, Ivan Llewellin, Petar Pavković, Karlo Seke, Filip Soldić, Vedran Zekan, Anamaria Čugura, Mateja Kaniški, Antonija Marinac, Lucija Šako, Doris Trgovec, Ante Franić, Ariana Andreić,  Ana Plantaš, Matija Vršić, Boško Šutalo.

The State Secretary and delegate of the Prime Minister and of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Branko Hrg, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, the Commander of the “Dr. Franjo Tuđman Defence Academy“ Major General Slaven Zdilar  and the Director of the “Petar Zrinski“ Military Schools Centre Colonel Damir Stručić presented diplomas to the students of the Senior Noncommissioner Command School and the Interbranch Command-Staff Training.

Accompanying President Milanović were the Adviser to the President for Defence Ivica Olujić, the Adviser to the President for National Security Dragan Lozančić, the secretary of the Military Office Lieutenant Colonel Siniša Marić and the Aide-de-camp to the President Colonel Vlado Čulina.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta