The government’s proposal to extend compulsory military service from four to 11 months is “unrealistic” mainly due to a lack of capacity, a leading trade union representing members of the Danish armed forces told Danish media on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Danish government unveiled a plan to increase military service from four to 11 months for those drafted and selected for service. They also announced plans to make conscription compulsory for women as part of efforts to strengthen Denmark’s defence.
The government’s goal is to call up 5,000 conscripts for 11-month service from 2026. Last year, some 4,700 Danes did military service, most of them for four months. Denmark’s defence minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, said:
Unfortunately, the security policy situation in Europe has become more and more serious, and we have to take that into account when we look at future defence. A more robust conscription, including full gender equality, must contribute to the armed forces’ task resolution, national mobilisation and to manning our armed forces. It is absolutely crucial that we get a more robust conscription in Denmark when we have to build up the Danish defence. Therefore, a broader basis for recruiting that includes all genders is needed.
All Danish men, once they reach the age of 18, are required to attend a “Defence Day”, a compulsory event in which they undergo a series of tests to determine whether they are fit for military service.
If they are found fit, potential conscripts must draw a number in a lottery. This determines whether they will be assigned a duty station, as the needs of the Danish Defence Forces or the Danish Emergency Management Agency are less than the actual number of eligible potential recruits.
The Central Armed Forces Staff Association (CS), the trade union representing members of the Danish Armed Forces, says the government’s plan is “completely unrealistic”. CS Chairman Jesper K. Hansen told Danish media:
We are not ready at all. When there are already too few of us to do what we have to do now, it doesn’t make the problem any smaller by adding more work on top of it.
The main problem for the Danish defence forces is a shortage of personnel. According to figures published by the Danish newspaper DR, 25 per cent of the army’s NCO positions will remain unfilled in the autumn of 2023. As NCOs train Danish conscripts, the increase in the number of conscripts and the length of their service will only put more strain on Denmark’s already strained military system.
According to the CS, there is also a shortage of equipment and facilities. Hansen said:
Sometimes I don’t quite understand what politicians are saying. Maybe this is to show some kind of vigour and leadership, but it is not at all realistic in the short term.
Hansen said the government’s proposal required a completely different organisation than in Denmark.
In 2017, neighbouring Sweden introduced military conscription for men and women as the Swedish government said the security situation in Europe and around Sweden was deteriorating. The Scandinavian country previously cancelled compulsory military service for men in 2010 as there were enough volunteers to meet military needs. The country has never had a military draft for women. In 2013, Norway passed a law extending military conscription to both sexes.
