Swedish public service television (SVT) reports that Sweden is to reintroduce conscription

Swedish flagSwedish flag.Photo: pixabay.com

On Thursday, the Swedish government will announce the reintroduction of conscription as of this summer, reported Swedish public service television (SVT).

Sweden has had conscription for men since 1901. Since 2010, that also included women, but from that year, the obligation to carry out military basic training has,
in practice, lain dormant. In June 2009, the Swedish parliament said that conscription would be resting in peace.

From the 1st of July, conscription will again become active, initially for those born in the years 1999 and 2000. 13,000 young Swedes will be called into service, and around 4,000 volunteers and conscripts will be given training for each of the next two years.

‘If we are to have full strength, and advanced combat units, there must be a voluntary system that is complemented by conscription’, said Defence Minister, Peter Hultqvist, to SVT.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today