Czech Republic to introduce register of military volunteers

In April, The Czech government announced plans to create a register of citizens who would be willing to volunteer for military service. The Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said that the move was in response to threats from Islamic State and insecruity in Ukraine, but did not amount to conscription, which was abolished in 2005. The legislation still needs approving by both houses of parliament, where the ruling party has a majority, and signed by the president.

Speaking to Radio Praha, Reserve General Andor Šándor said “We don’t want to get back to the conscript army that we used to have until 2005. The professional army will be preserved. “Under the current legislation, the government can call all men and women to fight in the army if the country has been threatened. The new legislation wants to make it so the government has the right to register people that are able and want to serve the army in normal peacetime.”

The bill is planned to take effect in 2017, and would require 100,000 men and women take part in a medical examination as they turn 18 each year, to determine whether or not they would be able to serve in the Czech military.

Sources:

Radio Praha: “Conscription” bill to create register of volunteers willing to serve country http://radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/conscription-bill-to-create-register-of-volunteers-willing-to-serve-country, 9 April 2015

Reuters: "Czech government plans to register citizens for military service", http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/09/us-czech-military-registration-idUSKBN0N015U20150409, 9 April 2015