April the 20th, 2025 – More details surrounding the controversial reintroduction of Croatian national service have been clarified and revealed.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, an important meeting was recently held by those at the very head of the Croatian Government. During that meeting, three key documents that will shape the future of national defence were agreed upon. In addition to the Prime Minister, the meeting was attended by Defence Minister Ivan Anušić and Interior Minister Davor Božinović, Foreign Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, representatives of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces and other high-ranking officials.
The topic of the meeting was the finalisation of the defence strategy, the long-term development plan for the Croatian Armed Forces and amendments to the Defence. Act, A special emphasis was placed on the introduction of Croatian national service. The first two documents, which relate to the country’s defence strategy and the development plan of the Armed Forces, have already been updated and adapted to new global challenges, according to a report from 24sata.
Both documents reportedly received the support of all those present at the meeting and will soon be sent to President Zoran Milanović for further coordination. These two documents are key to convening a session of the Defence Council. The third document is the amendments to the Defence Act, the changes to which will bring back Croatian national service, a controversial move in the minds of many.
These amendments are currently in the finalisation phase, and it was agreed that additional coordination will be required. One of the key changes concerns civilian military service, which will be an option for all those who do not want to serve actual military service.
Amendments to the Defence Act should soon enter public consultation. The document is expected to be in public consultation by June, and the first reading of the law in the Croatian Parliament is planned for July. After the summer break, a second reading should take place in September, and a vote is expected in October. This document will also be sent to President Zoran Milanović for final approval.
This year, the entire legal framework for the re-introduction of Croatian national service will be set. As announced by the minister previously, Croatian national service in its new form will last two months, and conscripts will be entitled to a compensation of around 1,100 euros per month, in addition to accommodation and food.
Time spent in the actual barracks will be included in the length of each individual’s service, and conscripts will have priority when later being employed in public and state services.
Two options have been provided for those who invoke the conscientious objection to Croatian national service.
The first option refers to serving in the civil protection system, which will last three months. During this period, conscripts will be trained to act in crisis situations and natural disasters such as fires, floods or earthquakes. The fee prescribed for this option should be lower and amount to 250 euros.
The second option includes four months of service in local government, where conscripts will perform tasks such as cleaning canals or mowing grass and the like. As has since been learned, it has not yet been officially agreed whether or not this part of the training will be included in the length of service.
