Croatia Sends First 700 Calls for Military Training

The news in Croatian

1. uvesti
   početi primjenjivati nešto novo ili ponovno, početi koristiti neku mjeru ili pravilo ↩︎
2. obvezan
   koji se mora izvršiti, nije dobrovoljan, nego je propisan kao dužnost ↩︎
3. obuka  (f.)
   organizirano učenje i vježbanje za stjecanje posebnih znanja ili vještina, posebno za posao ili vojsku ↩︎
4. naknada  (f.)
   novac ili drugo što se daje nekome kao plaća, odšteta ili nagrada za neki posao ili trošak ↩︎
5. prigovor  (m.)
   izražavanje neslaganja s nečim, izrečena ili napisana primjedba protiv neke odluke ili postupka ↩︎
6. savjest  (f.)
   unutarnji osjećaj za moralno ispravno i pogrešno, koji čovjeku govori je li nešto dobro ili loše ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: How long will the military training last for the young people who received the call?

Question 2: What option do young people have if they do not want to do military service for reasons of conscience?

Vocabulary

Croatian	English
uvesti	to introduce
obvezan	compulsory
obuka  (f.)	training
naknada  (f.)	compensation / remuneration
prigovor  (m.)	objection
savjest  (f.)	conscience

Read the full story

The Croatian Armed Forces have announced that more than 700 young people have so far received official calls to attend basic military training, after the country decided to reintroduce this form of compulsory service.

According to Chief of the General Staff Tihomir Kundid, only seven candidates have so far requested conscientious objection, choosing not to take part in military training for moral or religious reasons. Croatian media describe this number as low compared with the total number of invitations sent.

The renewed system is based on an eight‑week intensive training programme, which will be carried out in army barracks such as those in Knin, Slunj and Požega. The first group of recruits is expected to enter these facilities on 9 March. Participants will learn the basic skills of an infantry soldier, which can later be expanded if they join the military reserve.

Kundid explained that the programme is designed to introduce recruits to the “military world” step by step. He stressed that the training should not, in his view, significantly disrupt their education or career plans, because it lasts only around two months. He also said that young people, who are coming directly from civilian life, would be supported by instructors trained specifically to work with this age group, which differs from working with professional soldiers.

All recruits in the barracks will, according to the army, be equipped with VHS assault rifles, a weapon produced in Croatia. During their stay they will receive free accommodation and food as well as an untaxed monthly allowance of about €1,100.

The legal framework for this change was created when the Croatian Parliament amended the Defence Act in October 2025. These amendments reintroduced compulsory basic military training for citizens up to the age of 27, with possible postponement up to 30 in certain cases. The new system does not automatically require every invited person to serve in a barracks; several alternatives exist within Croatian law.

One of the most important alternatives is the right to conscientious objection (priziv savjesti). This right is guaranteed by Article 47 of the Croatian Constitution, which allows citizens who, for religious or moral reasons, are unwilling to perform military duties to carry out other legally defined tasks instead. In practice, this means they can apply for civilian service.

Civilian service is organised by the Ministry of the Interior and the civil protection system, or by local and regional authorities such as cities, municipalities and counties. Those who serve within the Ministry’s civil protection structures usually work for three months and receive an untaxed monthly allowance of €340. Those who serve in local or regional government bodies work for four months and receive about €170 per month, also untaxed. Several outlets point out that these amounts are significantly lower than the payments offered to recruits who choose military training.

Under the Defence Act, an individual can submit a request for civilian service after being entered into the military register and completing medical and psychological examinations. The request can be made not only at the start of the process but also later, even during the period of service. Local defence offices are required to inform new conscripts about this right when they are first registered.

The armed forces describe themselves as fully prepared for the reintroduction of basic training. Kundid stated that training locations have been equipped and that all instructors have completed special preparation for working with young people entering the system for the first time. Croatian media present his comments as an attempt to reassure potential recruits that, in his assessment, they “have nothing to fear” from the upcoming training cycle.

While official statements emphasise the benefits of the programme, such as new skills and financial support, some reports underline that only a small number of young people have so far chosen the path of conscientious objection, even though it is constitutionally protected and clearly regulated by law. How this balance between military and civilian service will develop in the future remains a subject of public interest in Croatia.

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