Radulovic: Reinstating mandatory military service requires serious preparation

Military analyst Vlade Radulovic, commenting on the discussion about reintroducing mandatory military service in Serbia, emphasized that the Working Group in the relevant ministry had existed for years and had been considering the introduction of mandatory military service. However, as he said, it remains to be seen whether it will indeed be implemented.

"It's not just a matter of whether the National Assembly will declare something; it is also a matter of finances, logistics, accommodation, complete uniforms, and everything else. Add to that the finances as a key component. Additionally, there is the officer and non-commissioned officer staff, if we are heading toward such a type of conscription without the existence of voluntary military service options," Radulovic said for Kosovo Online.

He believes that there are much more realistic formats, variations, and mechanisms to popularize military service without resorting to the proposed variant.

According to him, it is clear that the Serbian Army has an issue with the number of personnel.

"It is clear that there is a problem with filling positions; it is necessary for the sustainability of the military system to have soldiers and an army. And add to all that the global situation as it is," Radulovic said.

However, he emphasizes that geopolitical conditions should not be linked to the strengthening of the Serbian Army, given that Serbia is surrounded by NATO members.

"Although I wouldn't connect it too much to our conditions here because we are surrounded by NATO. I hope no one plans to wage war with NATO, we saw what that looked like in 1999. What will happen remains to be seen. I see all of this now as another initiative that has revived, and whether it will be implemented remains to be seen," Radulovic concluded.