Snagging a European passport through your grandfather’s great-aunt is all fun and games until the military comes to collect you for mandatory service.
Western governments are struggling to recruit enough people for their all-volunteer military forces. For Canada, that has meant dropping testing requirements for some applicants and launching military awareness campaigns. But for countries sitting closer to ongoing (and potential) conflicts, the re-introduction of mandatory military service is now on the table.
- Countries in Eastern Europe have boosted defence spending to ramp up conscription efforts, while similar programs are ongoing in Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea.
- Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Israel have all opened or plan to open up existing military programs to women, while Germany and France are looking to boost recruitment and retention.
Why it matters: The world is facing several threats, including rising tensions in the Middle East, the possibility of Russia defeating Ukraine, a Chinese takeover of Taiwan, or a future president Donald Trump abandoning the NATO military alliance, of which Canada is a part. Most countries, including the U.S., are unprepared to defend themselves in a major conflict.
Big picture: Some conservative politicians are positioning conscription as a tool to cure an “epidemic of loneliness” and instil a sense of national pride — particularly among young men. But in countries where citizens feel no immediate threat, efforts are likely to fall flat.—SB