As security fears grow across Europe in 2026, compulsory military service is no longer a relic of the Cold War. From the Nordics to the Mediterranean, a growing number of countries either never abolished conscription or have actively brought it back in response to rising tensions, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While the UK currently relies on a fully professional armed forces model, defence experts and former military leaders have increasingly warned that Britain may one day be forced to reconsider. Earlier this month, Professor Richard Vinen, a historian at King's College London and author of a definitive study on postwar National Service, told the Daily Express: "I have no desire myself to live through a World War. But it's not looking good."
Here are the 15 European countries that already have some form of conscription in place.
