European countries ask women to join the army – level 3

31-03-2025 15:00

Denmark is introducing compulsory military service for women two years earlier than planned.

Women turning 18 after July 1st, 2024, could be drafted from 2026 onwards. Both men and women must now participate in an annual ballot, with names drawn if there are not enough volunteers for the army. Additionally, Denmark has extended military service from four to eleven months. In response to the growing threat from Russia, the country has also increased its defense budget by 6.8 billion euros. While compulsory service for women is rare in Europe, Sweden introduced it eight years ago, and Norway, a NATO member, did so ten years ago. Other countries like Latvia and Lithuania are considering similar measures. Many European nations had suspended conscription after the Cold War, but Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine have changed this. Germany, for example, faces a shortage of soldiers but would need a constitutional change to introduce mandatory service for women, a politically challenging move.

Difficult words: ballot (voting), conscription (mandatory military service), annexation (taking over a territory).

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How must individuals qualify for the draft starting in 2026, and what key modifications have been made to military service duration and personnel selection procedures, in addition to the recent increase in defense spending?

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