A poll carried out by the Sarajevo-based Centre for Security Studies (CSS) showed that 90% of participants supports the introduction of mandatory military service in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A total of 45% participants said that the military service is an “excellent tool to gain discipline and working habits,” while 26% deems that young people “should be prepared in case of a conflict.”

Only 10% participants of the survey was not in favour of this idea, 27% deems this should be optional, while 24% thinks that the youth needs education, jobs and good wages instead of weapons.

Deutsche Welle reported that many countries are currently considering to introduce mandatory military service, and that this matter also discussed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Currently, the military service is mandatory in 13 European countries – Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ukraine, Cyprus, Switzerland, Greece, Austria and Turkey.

Bosnia's Defence Ministry told Deutsche Welle that currently there are “no conditions” for such an option in the country.

“The abolition of military service was a part of defence system reform in our country, a part of a functional process of creation of single Ministry of Defence of BiH and single, sovereign and operational Armed Forces of BiH,” the ministry said.

Denis Hadzovic, the CSS President, said commenting on the survey results that a high percentage of those supporting the idea of introducing the mandatory military service should spark a serious discussion on this matter.

He emphasised the importance of the engagement of the youth in humanitarian circumstances but also the corrective measures.

“The values of discipline and work among the youth, who need one healthy and successful, modern society, have been disordered,” he stressed.