Image: Puolustusvoimat

Finland is one of the last countries in Europe to require general military conscription of men. Since the end of the Cold War more than two decades ago, most European countries have moved toward volunteer and professional armies.

In recent years, Germany and others have abandoned general conscription and alternative civilian service. Sweden dropped the liability to military service in 2010. It will establish a professional army after 2014.

Last week, a petition was launched calling for Finland, too, to halt mandatory conscription. The “Ohi on” (“It’s Over”) signature drive is backed by NGOs such as the Committee of 100 in Finland, the Union of Conscientious Objectors (AKL), the Pirate Party of Finland, and various Green groups.

Proportion of conscripts dropping

The General Secretary of the Committee of 100 in Finland notes that less 70 percent of men in each age group now carry out military service, a drop of some 10 percent within a decade. Most of the rest carry out alternative civilian service – which has a longer minimum length – or receive various types of waivers. According to the AKL, more than 50 conscientious objectors are sentenced to prison sentences in Finland every year for refusing to do any sort of national service.

Since 1995, women have been allowed to serve in the Finnish Defence Forces on a volunteer basis. Some 6,000 have done so.

Public figures campaigning on behalf of the anti-conscription campaign include Arno Kotro, an author and Yle TV host, and Fatbardhe Hetemaj, a conservative Helsinki City Councillor and former Refugee Woman of the Year. She will be discussing the issue on Yle’s A-studio programme on Friday evening.

Any civic initiative that gathers a minimum of 50,000 signatures must be considered by Parliament.

Here are comparison figures for European countries, based on 2010 data.

Country End of % of € per Budget Troops Reserves

conscription GDP capita (M€)

(decision)

Albania 2010 (2008) 2.0 37 111 14,295 –

Andorra No army – – – – –

Austria – 0.9 291 2390 44,400 195,000

Belarus – 1.5 15 145 72,940 289,500

Belgium 1995 (1992) 1.2 354 3700 38,844 2040

Bosnia and

Herzegovina 2006 (2005) 1.4 28 109 8543 4200

Bulgaria 2007 (1998) 2.4 63 443 40,747 302,500

Croatia 2008 (2007) 1.9 142 636 18,600 21,000

Cyprus – 1.9 462 526 15,000 84,000

Czech Rep. 2004 (2001) 1.3 133 1350 24,083 –

Denmark – 1.4 440 2440 29,550 53,507

Estonia – 2.2 185 236 5300 16,000

Finland – 1.3 456 2460 33,900 350,000

France 2002 (1996) 2.3 701 45,800 352,771 70,300

Germany 2011 1.3 388 31,500 244,324 161,812

Hungary 2004 (2004) 1.2 92 938 25,207 44,000

Iceland No army 1.2 17 5.3 – –

Ireland No conscr. 0.6 245 1160 10,460 14,875

Italy 2005 (2001) 1.7 465 28,500 292,983 41,867

Latvia 2006 (2005) 1.9 120 263 5187 11,204

Liechtenstein No army – – – – –

Lithuania 2009 (2008) 1.5 105 370 8850 6700

Luxemburg 1967 0.7 554 282 900 –

Macedonia 2007 (2006) 1.8 48 100 10,890 21,000

Malta No conscr. 0.7 83 34 1954 167

Moldova – 0.6 2 7.3 5150 66,000

Monaco No army – – – – –

Montenegro 2006 (2006) 1.8 72 47 4500 –

Netherlands 1997 (1992) 1.4 509 8520 40,537 3339

Norway – 1.3 692 3260 19,100 45,250

Portugal 2004 (1999) 2.0 309 3330 42,910 210,900

Poland 2010 (2008) 2.0 132 5070 121,808 222,003

Romania 2007 (2005) 1.5 69 1510 73,200 45,000

Russia – 3.5 185 26,400 1.03mn 20mn

San Marino No army – – – – –

Serbia 2011 (2010) 2.4 48 360 18,443 54,249

Slovakia 2005 (2005) 1.5 114 625 17,445 –

Slovenia 2004 (2002) 1.5 302 603 7200 3800

Spain 2002 (1999) 1.2 289 13,600 221,750 319,000

Sweden 2010 1.3 567 5160 16,900 262,000

Switzerland – 0.8 303 2400 22,823 218,200

Turkey – 2.2 112 8930 510,600 378,700

Ukraine 2015 (2005) 2.7 47 2110 129,925 1mn

UK 1919/1963 2.5 638 40,200 160,280 199,280

Vatican No army – – – – –

Sources: Committee of 100 in Finland, Finnish Defence Forces