Latvia to reinstate military conscription to reach 28,400 soldiers by 2027

Latvia to reinstate military conscription to reach 28,400 soldiers by 2027

Latvia to reinstate military conscription to reach 28,400 soldiers by 2027 Credit: Michele Ursi/Shutterstock.com

On Tuesday, 6 September, Latvia’s Cabinet of Ministers endorsed the proposal of military conscription, made by the Ministry of Defence, from 2023 to 2027.

Latvia’s military conscription will come under the National Defence Service (NDS) which is planned to be established from January 1, 2023, with the first conscription to be entirely made up of citizens who have volunteered for it, and a compulsory conscription from the second half of 2023 onwards.

The proposal provides for a transitional period from January 1 2023 to December 31, 2027, during which all men aged 18 or over in a given year will be eligible for conscription in accordance with the needs of the defence sector.

Men born before January, 1 2003, will be able to volunteer for the NDS; men not conscripted into the NDS will be able to volunteer for professional service or the Home Guard without restriction.

In 2027, the size of the armed forces should reportedly reach 28 400 soldiers.

In order to implement the NMS, the Ministry proposes to increase defence funding to 3 per cent of GDP for 2027, which would imply a faster, but smoother timetable for the introduction of the NDS.

Thus, the planned additional budget would require around €87 million for defence in 2023, €122 million in 2024, €139 million in 2025, €164 million in 2026 and €228 million in 2027.

Latvia’s Ministry of Defence points out that this option would not have a significant impact on existing and future capability development projects, would allow for a gradual introduction of the NDS and would allow for the creation of the necessary high readiness reserve, as reported by Delfi.

The news follows reports of the Riga City council of Latvia previously announcing that it was set on removing a monument to Soviet soldiers due to the ongoing Russian-Ukraine war, with footage of the removal of the last statue circulating on social media on Wednesday, August 24.


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Written by

Joshua Manning

Originally from the UK, Joshua is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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