The Swedish government will reintroduce a draft that makes military service compulsory for both men and women, reported AP. The plan was approved on Thursday after Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist said the security environment in Europe and around Sweden was deteriorating. “The government wants a more stable staff supply system and to boost its military capability because the security situation has changed,” said Hultqvist, according to AFP.
According to the draft, at least 4,000 adults will be asked to join the military though they will screen around 13,000 men and women. It will affect citizens born after 1999. The process of screening is expected to start from July 1. Motivation and skill would be important factors for selection, reported Reuters. The selected volunteers will be called up each year, starting January 1, 2018.
Sweden had abolished conscription for men in 2010 because there were enough volunteers to meet the region’s military needs and the possibility of war was slim.
Sweden, a non-NATO member, has increased its military cooperation with United States in the recent past amid fears of Russian military activity in northern Europe. The fears grew after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. “The new security situation is a reality, partly in the form of Russian power politics which has long been underestimated and downplayed,” Wilhelm Agrell, a security expert at Lund University, told AFP.
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