The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, said today that the 75-day compulsory military service will begin in December of this year or in March of next year, and that a decision on this will be made soon.
The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that the decision on the reintroduction of mandatory military service will be made soon, and clarified that it is still uncertain whether the service will begin in December of this year or in March 2027.
“In the next month or two, we will make that decision and send it to the Serbian Parliament (…) and in September or October, the registration of conscripts will begin,” he pointed out.
When asked why it has not yet been decided when mandatory military service will begin, Vučić replied that it depends on the course of preparations.
“We have to prepare all the facilities. We have enough guns and boots, but there are some things that are not fully ready yet,” he said.
He added that it is necessary to restore recruitment centers, improve clinics and other facilities.
“These are important questions because we want to welcome everything ready and for these young people to spend the army in the best conditions. To acquire the necessary responsibility and seriousness, as well as an attitude towards patriotism,” said Vučić, reports N1 Serbia.
The decision to abolish mandatory military service was made at the end of 2010, and it entered into force on January 1, 2011. At that time, Serbia decided on a professional army and voluntary service.
On September 14, 2024, President Vučić signed the agreement to re-introduce the mandatory deadline of 75 days.
Today, during his visit to the Guard House in Topčider, he said that the military deadline was discussed in the framework of the analysis of the state and capabilities of the Serbian Army for 2025.
Serbia allocates 2.65% of GDP for defense
Vučić expressed his satisfaction with the performance of the Serbian Army and stated that the state allocates 2.65% of gross domestic product (GDP) to the defense and security system.
The analysis was also attended by representatives of the military leadership, and Vučić told reporters that concern was expressed over the formation of military alliances in the region, which he described as a threat to Serbia – without specifying to whom exactly this refers.
“We are behaving responsibly and seriously. We are not provoking anyone, but we want to deter anyone who would try to carry out aggression against Serbia,” he said.
He emphasized that the capacities of the Air Force and air defense have been “drastically and dramatically” increased, and that in the coming years the same trend will spread to all branches of the military.
According to him, allocations for defense and security are a record, “even slightly higher” than 2.65% of GDP, although not necessarily directly.
Of the total defense budget, 54.1% goes to investments, 12% to operational costs, and the rest to personnel costs.
