Ursula von der Leyen unveils €800 billion European defense plan
In early March, Ursula von der Leyen presented a plan to European leaders at a special summit in Brussels, unlocking up to €800 billion for defense spending over the next few years.
The plan involves borrowing €150 billion to fund pan-European defense equipment, including air and missile defense systems, artillery, drones, and other military needs. The European Commission also proposes relaxing EU fiscal rules to enable member states to strengthen their military forces.
However, beyond the financial and technical aspects, the human factor remains crucial. Experts agree that a European army—or even the revival of national armies—would require the reintroduction of conscription systems. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has recently discussed the possibility of reintroducing some form of military service. These discussions have gained relevance after the initial post-communist optimism in the 1990s, when many European countries reduced their military forces and abolished mandatory service. The need to maintain a sufficient number of soldiers in uniform has since become more apparent. The belief that technology alone would be sufficient proved to be a passing trend.
With the exception of countries like Switzerland and Israel, where mandatory military service is part of national identity, few European countries have maintained conscription. Many have transitioned to professional armies, and NATO has raised concerns that reducing recruitment could weaken national defense capacities.
In most Western democracies, mandatory military service has been phased out in favor of professional armies, except in unique cases like Switzerland, where the concept of a “citizen army” still applies, allowing every citizen to be theoretically mobilized in times of need.
A small number of countries, including Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, still practice conscription, although it can often be replaced with a civil service, which is typically longer. Germany abolished mandatory military service in 2011, but legally, it can be reinstated at any time, especially in the face of Russian threats.
Even in France, as mentioned, Macron has broken a taboo by raising the possibility of reintroducing military service. After 1989, NATO member states modernized their armies, turning most of them into professional forces. In some cases, this transition was more challenging than in others. In the Czech Republic, for instance, the army had to overcome negative public perception, especially due to its history with the Švejk character, the communist era, and the events of 1968, when the army was discredited in the eyes of the population.
In the UK, defense cuts have been implemented, with the British army’s land forces reduced to just 72,000 personnel, the lowest in 300 years. Under Prime Minister David Cameron’s government, measures were taken to shrink the army to 50,000, a force too small to handle two simultaneous conflicts. Even now, voices within the British military hierarchy, a nuclear power, warn that the country’s ability to respond to a potential Russian aggression in Eastern Europe would be severely limited due to its current commitments around the globe.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
