"If we invest in the reconstruction of certain barracks, we have again invested in our country. The construction industry receives some money, people are employed," says Minister of Finance Siniša Mali.
Reinstating military service will not only affect the combat readiness of the Serbian Army, but, as stated by government representatives, it will also have a favorable effect on economic conditions.
Since the news arrived that the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense launched an initiative to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, for the return of mandatory military service, among the questions that have been raised is whether the state has the money for such a thing.
"Question for Minister Vučević: Is the 'initiative' of the General Staff supported by analysis and indicators, for starters and a simple vocabulary of how much it costs and how long it takes to 'reorganize' the army according to that 'initiative' of the General Staff; how much does it cost and how long does it take to 'fix' the current model, i.e. unsuccessful professionalization of the Army?", asked Zdravko Ponoš, leader of the opposition party "Serbia Center" who himself was the Chief of the General Staff.
Good for the local economy
Finance Minister Siniša Mali says that money is the least problem when considering the idea of mandatory military service.
Mali thinks it's an idea "where money shouldn't be questioned."
"Imagine just for one local self-government, if you would equip those barracks, Negotin, Sombor, any other city. It boosts the local economy, it boosts the local city. If we invest in the reconstruction of certain barracks, we have again invested in our country. The construction industry receives some money, people are employed, VAT or any other tax is returned to the budget," said Mali in the "Hit Tweet" show on TV Pink.
He pointed out that a strong Serbian army is the guarantor of peace and freedom, and added that it would be irresponsible in such a security situation in the world not to think about the security of Serbia and the strengthening of the Serbian Armed Forces.
"And we invest a hundred times more today than just 10, 15 years ago, and our army is a hundred times, if not more, stronger than it was just 10 years ago." If we want to preserve our autonomy, our independence, and our policy is clear, we will not be part of any other military alliance, we want our planes to protect our skies, we want our army to protect the territory of our country. Therefore, the guarantor for that is a strong army," said Mali.
Confession about the destruction of the army
Responding to the idea of returning military service, the president of the Serbian Military Union, Novica Antic, said that no one from the government wants to take responsibility for the destruction of the Serbian Armed Forces as an institution, and that is why they are now trying to restore mandatory military service.
Military analyst Aleksandar Radić estimated that it would be good if the initiative for mandatory military service in Serbia came to life, but that the people who should implement it are not up to the task.
For retired aviation brigadier general Sreta Malinović, the announcement of the return of mandatory military service is, in a way, extinguishing the fire.
"This is not a matter of daily politics, will we or won't we?" "This is primarily a forced move due to the state of staffing of the Serbian Armed Forces," Malinović told Vreme.
As he says, he warned earlier that not knowing the concept of a professional army and not knowing how to work within the system will lead to a large outflow of personnel, especially professionally trained personnel.
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