In the coming years, Denmark wants to increase the number of conscripts, expand the conscription system to include women, and extend the terms of military service. This was stated by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, according to DR, UNN reports .
Defending one's country is one of the most honorable things to do. That is why the government is proposing to expand conscription. We propose full equality between the two sexes,
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She also noted that this approach would be more in line with the realities of the modern world. The expansion of the conscription system to include women is planned for 2026.
Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, in turn, noted that the relevant legislation is expected to be approved no later than 2025, so that it can be applied next year.
This means that all young people, regardless of gender, can be drafted into the armed forces and serve under the same conditions. In other words, conscription should be in line with the current conditions - both our fundamental values that reflect our society and the threats we may face,
In 2023, the share of women who volunteered to serve was 25% of about 4,700 conscripts. In Denmark, not all young people are drafted without exception - the selection is made through a lottery.
The term of conscript service is planned to be extended from about 4 months to 11 months. For the first 5 months, conscripts will undergo basic training, and the rest of the time they will receive a specific specialty.
The annual number of conscripts will increase to 5000 people. The Danish government also announced that it plans to allocate an additional 40 billion kroner (about 5.3 billion euros) for defense needs over the next 5 years.
According to Frederiksen, this means that in 2024 and 2025 Denmark will spend 2.4% of its GDP on defense, which will include the cost of military aid provided to Ukraine.
Recall
Denmark will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth about 308.4 million euros, including co-financing of Caesar artillery systems, mortars and ammunition.