Military conscription divides Poles. Young people say a firm "no"

Compulsory military service, commonly known as "conscription", was suspended in Poland in 2009. Since then, the Polish army has relied exclusively on professional soldiers and volunteers who volunteered for service. In recent years, with growing uncertainty in the international arena and increasing tension in the Central and Eastern European region, voices calling for a return to old solutions are increasingly heard.

Supporters of restoring conscription argue that in a situation of growing military threat, it is necessary to increase the number of armed forces and provide appropriate military training to wide groups of society. Opponents point to the changing nature of modern armies, which are increasingly based on professionals and highly specialized units.

Return of compulsory military service? Poles divided on the issue of conscription

According to the latest research by Opinia24 for RMF FM, almost half of Poles (48 percent) support the idea of restoring compulsory military service. Among this group, opinions are divided on who should be subject to conscription: 22 percent of respondents indicate that the obligation should cover both men and women, while 24 percent believe that conscription should apply only to men.

On the other hand, as many as 38 percent of respondents do not support the restoration of compulsory military service and are in favor of leaving the army fully professional. 16 percent of respondents have no opinion on this matter and cannot clearly choose either side.

Who is against conscription?

Analysis of the survey results shows that opposition to the reintroduction of conscription is most often expressed by young people aged 18-24 - as many as 53 percent of them do not support this idea.

People with secondary education (44 percent) and higher education (45 percent) also hold a similar position.

The voters of the Civic Coalition are also largely opposed to compulsory military service - 47 percent of them support maintaining the current model of a fully professional army.

Compulsory military service in Poland - the most important information

Compulsory military service was a mandatory form of active military service in Poland, the main purpose of which was to train personal reserves in the event of an armed conflict. The training included, among others: learning how to use weapons and use military equipment.

Persons with health category A (fit for military service) or C (fit for service in specific positions), determined by the military medical commission, were called up to perform compulsory military service. Initially, the service lasted two years in the land forces, the Home Air Defense Forces and the air force, and three years in the navy. In 1990, this period was shortened to 1.5 years, and from 2004, compulsory military service lasted 11 months.

The last military conscription took place in 2008, and the last enlistment took place in December of the same year. In January 2009, the Sejm amended the law that formally suspended the draft. The last conscripts were released from service in August 2009. From that time on, compulsory conscription for compulsory military service was no longer carried out in Poland.