Rome — Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday proposed reintroducing compulsory military service in Italy, two decades after it was suspended. He said he plans to present a draft bill to cabinet and then to parliament.
Crosetto spoke with reporters after a trip to Paris. He asked whether a new national service — similar to those in France or Germany — might return. His answer: “If Parliament decides so, yes.”
The draft, if approved, would not simply increase the number of troops. Crosetto said it would overhaul the structure of the armed forces: organisation, rules and overall readiness. His proposal arrives amid broader defence reforms. In early November, Crosetto said Italy must scrap a legal cap on armed-forces personnel, currently set at 170,000, and expand recruitment. Italy is also preparing to build a new “cyber army” comprised of 1,200–1,500 personnel tasked with defending Italy’s digital infrastructure.
Crosetto stressed that Italy is unprepared to face new threats, including possible aggression from Russia, pointing to two decades of underinvestment in defence.
Civil or military service proposal
The political backdrop already featured a previous push: in May 2024, the right-wing party Lega filed a bill to reintroduce six months of civil or military service for 18-26-year-olds. That plan would allow conscientious objectors to fulfil service via civilian work.
If Crosetto’s proposal wins parliamentary approval, Italy would become part of a growing group of European nations revisiting conscription in response to renewed security concerns. In recent months, several countries have reintroduced or considered mandatory service as part of broader armed-forces expansions.
Observers say a return to conscription would mark a major shift in Italian defence policy. The law would need to define the length of service, obligations for conscientious objectors, and the balance between civilian and military duties. It would also entail a major logistical and cultural effort to reintegrate conscripts into a professional military system that has long relied on volunteers.
