Citizens expect the introduction of mandatory service by 2030
According to a survey by Norstat, 76.3% of Lithuanian citizens support the introduction of general military conscription. More than half of the respondents believe that this initiative should be implemented faster than originally planned. This was reported by LRT citing BNS, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The study was initiated by the Visuotinė gynyba (General Defence) association and involved 1,501 respondents. According to the head of the association, Tomas Godliauskas, the public is signalling its readiness for systemic changes in the coming years.
Attitudes toward conscription and alternatives
The results show that 40% of those surveyed prioritize male conscription. At the same time, 19% support the conscription of both genders, and 23% support the current model of partial involvement of citizens in the army. Another 14.5% of respondents would prefer to see only professional armed forces in the country.
As for female conscription, 55% of men and 48% of women support the possibility if the service is voluntary and diverse. Edmundas Jakilaitis, who leads the Stiprūs kartu (Strong Together) movement, emphasized that the level of support for the reforms was significantly higher than expected.
Conditions for public support
Citizens are ready to support general conscription provided there is modernization of training, including mastering technologies and drones, as indicated by 35% of those surveyed. Territorial proximity of the service location, fair pay, and the absence of exceptions for elite members or wealthy segments of society are also important factors.
The study participants also spoke in favour of expanding service formats through medicine, civil defence, or cybersecurity. According to activists, this will avoid problems with a lack of barracks and other infrastructure.
Future plans
In September, during the General Defence Forum, the survey results will be officially presented to the country’s political leaders. Officials are currently assessing the possibilities of scaling up conscription: by 2030, the goal is to cover a significant part of the citizens fit for service and recruit about 7,000–8,000 people annually.
Currently, a nine-month service term is in effect in Lithuania, although an option to reduce the term to three or six months has recently been introduced. President Gitanas Nauseda previously noted that the transition to full conscription is an inevitable stage in the formation of a national division.
Illustrative photo: Staff Sgt. Timothy Koster / Public domain
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