Europe Gears Up for War – Part 2: Growing Troop Numbers Across the Bloc

EU member states bordering Russia have launched significant military expansions in recent years in response to Moscow’s war against Ukraine. Poland has the most ambitious plan to expand its army, potentially reaching 500,000 troops, while Germany has also taken action. Magyar Nemzet has launched a series of articles on European rearmament, which may also reflect an intention to prepare for a potential future war. This second installment focuses on troop increases in EU member states.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas at EU summit press conference in Brussels on June 28, 2024. Von der Leyen was re-elected president of the Commission and Kallas was elected High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. (Photo: MTI/EPA/Olivier Hoslet)

In Latvia, conscription was abolished in 2007, but due to the war, it was reinstated in 2023. That year, 500 people volunteered for training. Starting in 2024, mandatory call-ups began, initially at a small scale of 600 people per year. Lithuania suspended conscription in 2008 but reinstated it in 2015. In 2022, 3,500 men completed nine months of service. In Estonia, conscription for men has been maintained since the country regained independence in 1991. Service lasts 8 or 11 months. Until 2023, 3,500 young men were drafted annually; from that year, the number increased to 4,000. Although the Baltic states’ armies are not large, their NATO membership and the presence of international forces provide substantial deterrence.

Conscription Again?

It’s worth noting that in many European countries, recruiting young people for military service is increasingly difficult, even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine heightens regional security concerns. Pilot programs are being tested to address these recruitment challenges. In Eastern European countries, low unemployment rates also make military service less appealing, as the private sector often offers more competitive salaries.

Brussels appears most focused on sensitizing the civilian population to the war atmosphere. In the next part of our series, we will explore this topic.

(To be continued)