Jobbik drafts bill for volunteer army

BBJ

Hungary’s far-right radical Jobbik party is drafting a proposal to be submitted to Parliament in the coming days, in order to lay the groundwork for the establishment of a volunteer army, Hungarian news agency MTI reported.

Jobbik deputy chairman Előd Novák reportedly said that although Hungaryʼs fundamental law declares that all citizens have an obligation to defend the country, the state does not guarantee potential volunteers the necessary basic training, MTI reported.

Novák noted that at the moment if someone volunteers for the reserve force, they must be a part of the army for six months every three years. This discourages “tens of thousands” of potential applicants from enrolling, Novák said.

The deputy chairman said that under Jobbikʼs proposal, a “third pillar” of the Hungarian army would be established, adding that volunteers cannot be deployed outside the countryʼs borders.

“Public confidence in the police and the armed forces among citizens has grown due to the recent wave of illegal immigration,” MTI cited the deputy chairman as saying, in reference to the manner in which the influx of migrants into Hungary was drastically reduced in the fall of last year.