Sweden is bringing back conscription

SWEDEN’S left-leaning government is to bring back a military draft for both men and women over what the defence minister calls a “deteriorating security environment” in Europe.

Sweden abolished conscription for men in 2010 as there were enough volunteers to meet the military’s needs.

But now all-volunteer recruitment does not provide enough personnel and ministers say re-activating conscription is needed for “military readiness”.

Under the plan approved yesterday, at least 13,000 18-year-olds – maleandfemale–could be called up and 4,000 could be enrolled each year from 2018.

The Swedish government has referred to itself as “feminist” and a spokesman said modern conscription is gender neutral.

The policy affects residents born after 1999 and, as in the current system, Swedes will still be able to volunteer for military service.

In September, non-Nato member Sweden stationed troops on the Baltic Sea island of Gotland.

Defence minister Peter Hultqvist said this was a signal to Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea and its “increasing pressure” on the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

There have been reports of airspace violations by Russia’s military aircraft in the region and a military build-up in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, across the Baltic Sea from Sweden.