As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the chairman of the Parliamentary Defence Committee, SDP’s Arsen Bauk, HDZ’s Ante Deur, and military analyst Professor Marinko Ogorec spoke on HRT about the re-introduction of Croatian national service from January the 1st, 2025.

Bauk claimed that Croatia still sticks tightly to the concept of having a professional army. As he stated, after completing their training, some soldiers who want to remain in the armed forces can and do stay, and the rest will continue with their civilian lives with certain very valuable knowledge that they will acquire in a mere two or three month period.

When asked how many young people could end up having to do Croatian national service each year and whether the country actually has the capacity for their proper training, Deur replied that the capacities are indeed there.

“I believe that we’ve got quality officers and non-commissioned officers, we’ve got barracks that are good and there’s no fear or worries as far as that is concerned. The Croatian Armed Forces has its own system of work and there’s no doubt that it will be of good quality and in the interest of the military, but also of interested young people.”

Ogorec believes that it has become evident that Croatian national service should not have been frozen previously because when some skills aren’t applied for a long time, then certain serious problems arise.

an increase in the number of professional soldiers

“It would be good if Croatian national service had remained as it is. The OSRH has five and a half months to start new active military service, and we’ll see how that will be implemented,” he said. He emphasised that 2-3 months is enough for basic training.

Bauk pointed out that the activation of Croatian national service should affect the increase in the number of professional soldiers the country has. “That’s one of the things that the government and the competent ministry should explain better, as well as the actual reason national service is now being unfrozen”, he said.

He said that the Defence Committee hasn’t yet had a single meeting regarding this issue because, as he stated, such is the dynamics of the government. “What’s being circulated in the media is “quite enough”. My colleague Deur and I will spend more time on talk shows discussing national service than soldiers will actually spend doing it,” he said.

is croatia missing 4,000 soldiers?

Bauk noted that in voluntary Croatian national service, the number of conscripts who would actually end up joining the armed forces at the end was a missing point.

“Involving a larger number of young men and women would increase the opportunity for them to become members of the Croatian Armed Forces after their training is complete,” he said.

The president said that Croatia is currently lacking 4,000 soldiers, and nobody has ever come forward and denied that fact. “There are more non-commissioned officers and officers in the army than there are actual soldiers. These are topics that should be taken into account,” he said.

As for civilian military service, Deur emphasised that the ministry will decide how it will all be done. He’s aware that this is important information and assured viewers that it “will be properly communicated in good time”

Back in 2008, as many as 90 percent of young people appealed to their conscience and did Croatian national service. The question arises as to whether or not today’s young people would respond to being called up for national service or whether we’ll be surprised and have a repeat of 2008.

women should also take part in croatian national service, as well as serve in the armed forces

“There are cases where an individual doesn’t want to pick up a weapon due to their own conscience, but this doesn’t limit them in any other matter. I don’t see why such an individual wouldn’t put on a uniform and serve in the army with their colleagues,” he emphasised.

He added that within the army, there is a whole range of activities that these people can perform that don’t involve weaponry.

As for mandatory Croatian national service for both women and men, Ogorec believes that it should be so, and that women shouldn’t be spared from being called up. “I see no reason why women shouldn’t serve in the military,” he emphasised, adding that women will also be completely able to apply to the new system. He pointed out that there were many women who participated in combat activities during the Homeland War, and so gender shouldn’t be a hindrance.

The post Military Analyst Says Women Should Do Croatian National Service appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Ministry of Defence recently presented its two models for the somewhat controversial reintroduction of Croatian national service – one of two months and the other spanning a period of three months.

“During those two or three months, those undertaking Croatian national service will only receive basic military skills. They will learn how to handle infantry weapons, both long and short, as well as basic skills of movement on the battlefield, behaviour in military organisation(s), and military structure(s)”, explained Ivan Jušić, director of the Directorate for Human Resources in the Defence Ministry.

It’s also been unofficially circulating that Croatian national service will see those partaking in it paid around 900 euros per month throughout their time serving. It is also being considered that for those who serve it, that period will enter their work experience as well as be an advantage when being hired by future employers.

These planned models should soon be presented to the public, as well as to President Zoran Milanović, who has to rubber stamp it. The decision on the model set to be implemented going forward will ultimately be of a political nature, and the level of support for it could be wider than just from the ruling majority, Dnevnik.hr reports.

For this very reason, it will be necessary to determine which generation will actually be “generation zero” with which everything regarding the reintroduction of Croatian national service will begin.

Every year in Croatia, around 18,000 young men turn 18, but not every single newly crowned male 18 year old would actually be invited. Just as there was before, there will be an appeal of conscience.

“All those who enrol in colleges will have the right to postpone their Croatian national service, with the maximum limit for how long they can postpone their basic military training. Those who are abroad at the time or have any other problems will also be able to get a postponement,” assured Jušić.

The post How Will Croatian National Service Look? appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, if Croatian national service is reintroduced, what will the military training involved look like? Will the planned compensation of 900 euros be sufficient motivation for young people to serve in the army? What awaits those who appeal to their conscience and will the potential return of Croatian national service be decided on via a referendum? All of the above questions were answered recently.

january the 1st, 2025…

“The training will be conducted by the Croatian Armed Forces, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia (GSOSRH) is in charge of preparing that document. They’re more than ready to do that work. All the details have not been finalised, they will be known when they are sent to the government and also to Parliament,” revealed the State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Branko Hrg for a Croatian Radio (HRT) show. He added that his ministry is “100% ready to present these proposals”.

Defence Minister Ivan Anušić has previously announced on several occasions that ready to start the training process for Croatian national service as of the 1st of January 2025. Additional locations where this could be carried out are now being considered. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia is making preparations regarding personnel, methods of implementation and imagined costs, he added.

which generation will be “generation zero” for croatian national service?

“We need to decide which generation will be “generation zero”, as in – which generation the reintroduction of Croatian national service will begin with. All conscripts are between the ages of 18-27. The system cannot accommodate such a large number of people at once,” he continued. He emphasised that “generation zero” will be assigned an invitation, and the others will be able to apply voluntarily.

“It will involve 15,000 young people each year. Some of them will have health issues making them unfit to be called up, so that number will certainly end up being lower,” he added.

The post Will Croatian National Service Be Back Next Year? appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Defence Minister Ivan Anušić, responding to Darko Klasić (HSLS) on whether interest in military conscription has increased, confirmed on Wednesday that interest in Croatian military service has indeed markedly grown.

In the first five months of 2024, 451 candidates applied for voluntary Croatian military service training, in the whole of 2023 there were 616 candidates. Back in 2022 there were a mere 568 such candidates.

He then noted that they raised the salaries of soldiers as well as daily allowances for those on missions, and raised the pension limit to 50 years. He announced further investments in the modernisation of the Croatian Armed Forces and the increase of material rights.

He hopes, as he said, that this will contribute to the further popularisation of Croatian military service.

education

Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs reiterated the Croatian Government’s priorities in his sector. “Our goal is to have all schools in one shift by 2027, to have sports halls and fields and to increase the number of children enrolled in high school programmes from 30 to 35 percent,” he said.

At the same time, he called on Zagreb and Rijeka to submit applications for the construction of halls, because they are quite behind other Croatian cities.

When it comes to kindergartens, the goal is to have about 44,000 new places in kindergartens by 2027 compared to 2019, and the ultimate goal is for every child to have a place in kindergarten by 2030, added Fuchs.

spatial planning, construction and state property

Ikić Baniček (SDP): Not much was done in the reconstruction of Sisak after the earthquake; Minister Bačić: The revitalisation programme is already showing results.

The Minister of Spatial Planning, Construction and State Property Branko Bačić rejected the allegations of Kristina Ikić Baniček (SDP) that not much was done to rebuild Sisak after the earthquake.

“The revitalisation programme of Sisak and Sisak-Moslavina County is already yielding significant results, before the earthquake the net salary in the county was among the lowest in Croatia, and 3 and a half years after the earthquake it is in eighth place. In addition to that, there’s never been a higher number of trades, higher employment and lower unemployment, and 45 percent more children are enrolled in the first grades of the elementary school in Petrinja than there were one year ago, which speaks volumes about the renewal,” Bačić emphasised.

He also stated that in Sisak-Moslavina County, the government decided to build 56 multi-dwelling units with 974 apartments, and in Sisak alone there are now 20 new multi-dwelling units. He added that after the reconstruction, Sisak will have 410 brand new housing units.

war veterans’ affairs

Medved: We’re working on the concept of centres for the long-term accommodation of veterans who need care.

Croatian Veterans Minister Tomo Medved, answering a question from Anamarija Blažević (HDZ), spoke about programmes for Croatian war veterans.

“After we established four veterans’ centres and provided Croatian veterans with a rehabilitation programme, we designed the concept of veterans’ centres as institutions for the long-term accommodation of Croatian veterans who are in difficult situations and need permanent care,” he said.

We’re provide the formal, legal and technical prerequisites for the start of the construction of veterans’ centres in Pakrac, Imotski, Slunj, Slavonski Brod and Vukovar, Medved added.

culture and media

The Minister of Culture and Media, Nina Obuljen Koržinek, referred to the preservation of Croatian cultural heritage, recalling the project of creating conservation materials that will be publicly available in digital format and significantly speed up the retrieval of documents for both citizens and investors.

The post Defence Ministry: Interest In Croatian Military Service Growing appeared first on Total Croatia.

Tportal/Poslovni provides all the details about the system that should strengthen the capabilities of the Croatian Army.

The Croatian Ministry of Defense (MOD) carried out the procurement as a negotiated procedure without prior announcement of the invitation to tender, and an agreement was reached with the company Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH (DND) from the Federal Republic of Germany, which is also the original manufacturer of the RGW90 missile system.

By purchasing with the original manufacturer, the most favorable unit price was achieved through the joint procurement of a large batch, as well as a shortened delivery time. The RGW90 missile system fully meets the needs of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia regarding the requirement to equip troops with portable, disposable anti-armor unguided missile systems, and at the same time represents an urgent measure, which is important for the long-term security and defense of the Republic of Croatia.

The Government’s decision states that the RGW90 missile system is in accordance with the adopted NATO capability goals. The Ministry of Defense will spend almost four million euros to procure the system for the Croatian army, of which 1.2 million this year and 2.6 million in 2024.

PM Plenković: Anti-Tank Defense of Croatian Army to be like no other in this part of Europe

The disposable anti-armor portable missile system RGW90, also called Matador, is based on the light anti-tank missile launcher Armbrust, and it has been in production since the 1970s by the now-defunct German company Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm. The Matador was jointly developed by the Singaporean company Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), which bought the patent and manufacturing rights to Armbrust, the German company Dynamit Nobel Defense (DND), and the Israeli company Rafael. It has been in production since 2000 and is manufactured by DND.

It was also tested in combat conditions, first back in 2009 in the Gaza war, when the Israelis used it to breach walls so that soldiers could enter buildings, and it has been used in more significant numbers by Ukraine since 2022 when the Russian invasion began. Germany sent almost 8,000 pieces to Ukraine, and subsequently, the Ukrainians bought another 5,000 copies, half of which have been delivered. According to the descriptions of the Ukrainian fighters from the end of last year, the projectile fired from the RGW90 can easily penetrate a hole in a wall and lightly armored vehicles, but it is not as successful when it comes to tanks with reactive armor, although it fulfills its primary purpose, which is to stop them.

In addition to Germany, Singapore, Israel, and Ukraine, Matador is used in Belgium, Great Britain, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Mexico, and Vietnam.

The post Croatian Army to Procure German Anti-Tank Missile System appeared first on Total Croatia.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, a ceremony was recently held at the “Josip Jović” barracks in Udbina, marking the completion of the Basic Training for Special Operations of the HV (Croatian Army) Special Forces Command. The members of the ZSS who successfully completed the training, said the commando prayer, and were presented with their diplomas, green berets and commando insignia.

Minister of Defence Mario Banožić congratulated the new generation of Croatian commandos, saying that the commando badge, along with their superior abilities and skills, also brings enormous responsibility.

“First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate you all for finding the desire, will and strength within yourselves. You had a true motive that, even when faced with the very demanding tasks that were set before you, saw you emerge as winners – as the flagship of the Croatian Army, as members of its special forces”, the minister stated.

He emphasised that it is not just a duty in the Croatian Army, but that being Croatian commandos means having this honourable duty as an entire way of life.

“I believe that you understand the depth of what you have become and that you will never forget that despite the self-confidence you have gained, the strength of a powerful Croatian soldier, a commando, lies in humility! Please, respected special forces, always remain faithful and loyal to Croatia and the Croatian people!”, the minister added.

After selection, members of Basic Training for Special Operations undergo individual training through basic and advanced skills, survival training and basic parachute training. This is followed by training for working in teams, and then Commando training, which is the final and most demanding part of the Basic Training for Special Operations and includes training in extreme conditions, the Ministry of Defence explained.

The post New Generation of Croatian Commandos Complete Training appeared first on Total Croatia.

“The Croatian army will be out in the field tomorrow as well, in accordance with the expressed needs of the municipal and county civil protection headquarters,” said the minister after participating in the evening session of the Civil Protection Headquarters of the Vukovar-Srijem County, writes Index.

“Soldiers are repairing infrastructure and protecting the property of Croatian citizens so that other competent services can continue their work. Activities are undertaken with the aim of normalizing the lives of citizens in the county,” he added. There are still many households without electricity.

203 soldiers on the ground in Vukovar-Srijem County

“That’s why I’m extremely glad that we have positive developments when it comes to the work on electricity connections,” said Banožić.

Today, there were a total of 203 members of the Croatian army on the ground in the county, and the ministry says that almost 300 more were available.

The employees of the Croatian Electric Power Company, Water Company, Croatian Forests, firefighters and employees of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, together with the Croatian Army, are working to eliminate dangers for citizens and their property.

Banožić visited all the places Affected by the Storm in Slavonia

Yesterday, Minister Banožić also visited all the places facing the catastrophic consequences of the big storm in Slavonia, the press release pointed out.

There were 150 members of the general purpose civil protection on the ground, an additional 100 firefighters with saws and power generators, which are necessary for cleaning and restoring damaged areas. Additionally, there were 60 members of the State Intervention Unit who are experts in working at heights and 30 members of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service for work at heights and inaccessible areas, the civil protection announced.

The post Croatian Army Helping Clear Rubble After the Storm in Slavonia appeared first on Total Croatia.

The Ministry of Defense announced that a contract with the Atlantic Group and as such Cedevita, worth 607,000 kuna, had now been concluded. The procurement of these “energy bombs” which work to keep the body functioning when food isn’t available was carried out through a negotiated procedure without prior publication, in accordance with the Public Procurement Regulation in the field of defense and security.

Such a procedure has been justified by the fact that it is the only such product, in the development of which, in addition to the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology and Atlantic, the Croatian Ministry of Defense itself actually participated.

Croatian soldiers have been using these compressed super sweets for ten years now, and the packages are intended for six days of human survival. As a rule, they are used by special forces, pilots, sailors and soldiers when on missions.

One packet of these super sweets every day is enough for a soldier to avoid a hypoglycemic attack when in extreme situations. The current regulations also prescribe the use of these meal replacement sweets as an energy supplement in the regular diet of Croatian soldiers, but the Ministry of Defense explained that they are not usually used in regular activities, but they must be in stock to be made immediately available for any given time they might well be needed.

The shelf life of these Atlantic Group-made compressed sweets is an impressive four years. Here in Croatia, Atlantic Group is the only company to produce this form of food, and although the company counts on breaking their sweets into the so-called Survival ration packages of other NATO armies around thw world, it is, as it turns out, still a very difficult market to try and conquer.

For more, make sure to check out Made in Croatia.

The post Croatian Soldiers to Get Atlantic Group’s “Super Sweets” in Survival Kits appeared first on Total Croatia.

“That was a time when Croatia was defended by sons from small communities and towns and the least of them came from downtown Zagreb and other large cities,” he claimed. “We must not forget them. We must not forget their children and descendants. They are a part of us in another country and we must not betray them.” 

We are not in alliances for them but for us

Milanović said that excellent skills can best be gained in cooperation and interaction with others. “Small nations and small armies cannot advance if they aren’t in constant contact with what is on the outside, with what is different and open. That is the fate and imperative of small nations because a small nation that is closed within itself degenerates,” he added.

“We aren’t in all those alliances for their sake but our own,” the president stressed.

National policy and security are an important priority and they are defined by the democratically elected government, concluded Milanović.

The president laid a wreath and lit a candle at a cross in front of a memorial room in the barracks in Delnice in honour of the members of the Special Forces who were killed. Tribute to the fallen soldiers was also paid by Brigadier General Perica Turalija on behalf of the Defence Ministry and Hungary’s military attache to Croatia.

For more, check out our politics section.

The post Milanović: Special Forces Are the Elite and Must Have a Spotless Reputation appeared first on Total Croatia.

They analyzed data collected in surveys in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2020, conducted by the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb, in which citizens were asked to 1 to 5 assess the degree of trust in political and social institutions.

It turned out that the army and the police enjoy the most stable trust of the citizens.

Thus, in 1999, citizens’ trust in the army was rated at 3.64, and in 2020 at 3.62, while trust in the police in the same period reached 3.15 and 3.22, respectively. Trust in political parties in 2020 was 1.89, and in 1999 at least 2.52.

While the trust in the Parliament in 1999 was 3.15, in 2020 it dropped to barely 2.03. The situation is similar to the decline in confidence in the Government, in 1999 it received a score of 2.97, and in 2020 2.19. NGOs cannot boast of trust either, because in 2020 the trust in them was rated at 2.41, and in 1999 it was 2.82.

The Church enjoys greater trust than non-governmental organizations, in which the trust of citizens was 2.75 in 2020 and 3.36 in 1999. Croats’ trust in trade unions in 2020 was lower (2.27) than in the media (2.45), although neither of them can be satisfied because from 1999 to 2020, trust in them fell.

Croats trust the EU more (2.72) than the Croatian public administration, which in 2020 was barely 2.19. Confidence in the courts is even lower, so in 2020 it was 2.04, while in 1999 it was still 2.90.

Political scientists conclude that the analysis showed that in the period from 1999 to 2020, citizens’ trust in representative institutions decreased, which suggests the alienation of citizens from these institutions and poses a problem for the functioning of representative democracy in Croatia while trust in security institutions, army, and police extremely stable, wrote Večernji list journalist Dijana Jurasić.

For more, check out our politics section.

The post Croats Trust Police and Army the Most, the EU More than Their Government appeared first on Total Croatia.