Sweden abolishes military conscription

(20.05.2010) The Swedish parliament – the Riksdagen – yesterday formalized the abolishment of compulsary military service in the country. From July this year, the recruitment of new soldiers will be based exclusively on applications from the people interested, Swedish Radio reports. The authorities expect 3000-4000 young men and women to apply for military service under the new system. They will subsequently be enrolled in a three-month program, after which the most suited individuals will be invited to continue military careers. Until now, all young men have served 11-month military service. Although compulsory, the number of conscripts have still dropped significantly over the last years, from 50 thousand in year 2000 to about 10 thousand in 2010.

BarentsObserver.com. May 20, 2010. http://www.barentsobserver.com/sweden-abolishes-military-conscription.4785432-116321.html

Keywords:    ⇒ Conscription   ⇒ Military   ⇒ Sweden