WARSAW — Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa is aiming to restore conscription as a result of Russia's increased military activities in Eastern Europe and its intervention in Ukraine, reports local daily Gandul.
The planned move would follow similar initiatives in other Eastern European countries. In Lithuania, the country's parliament passed a bill in March to temporarily restore conscription for a period of at least five years. Lithuania's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius said the decision resulted from "changes in the geopolitical situation in the region," which forced the country to increase its "defense capacity in response."
Meanwhile, Czech Defense Minister Martin Stropnicky has announced plans to increase the Czech Republic's troop level from the current 16,600 to as much as 27,000 by 2025. The government may also revive conscription, as there are ongoing discussions on the measure.
The Romanian parliament is currently drafting a law with the aim of introducing voluntary military internships for the country's youth. Ninel Peia, an MP from the ruling Social Democratic Party, (PSD), said the initiative "is a very good project for Romania, in particular due to the geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe."
According to the draft law, Romanians aged 18 to 25 will be enabled to take part in internships with the country's armed forces for a period of six months. The program is designed to encourage local youth to join the military.
Email: jadamowski@defensenews.com
Jaroslaw Adamowski is the Poland correspondent for Defense News.
