Mandatory Military Service: Not Even for €1,160 a Month

Nobody Wants Military Service: Not Even for €1,160 a Month

Amid European rearmament, with Vladimir Pilingui ordering nuclear drills in response to threats he attributes to Emmanuel Macron, the question of mandatory military service has moved beyond a hypothetical scenario. And the answer emerging is a resounding no. It’s not that no one discusses it; rather, almost all arguments lead back to the same place: wallets and distrust.

How Much Would the State Have to Pay for Someone to Go to War?

The recurring calculation isn't strategic; it's about salary. A young person today doesn't own a car, doesn't have children, and doesn't own a home. Risking their life for €1,160 a month — the figure cited as a base salary — is described as a scam, not a sacrifice. The overarching conclusion is uncomfortable: if the country doesn't provide you with a home or a future, it’s hard to ask you to defend it with your life.

Then there's the Ukrainian example. The mass exodus of those who could leave has, according to this narrative, left a dented population pyramid and a clear lesson about what happens when a generation with nothing to defend is called to arms.

Conscientious Objection That Already Toppled Military Service

There is memory. When mandatory military service was abolished, over half of those called up declared themselves conscientious objectors. The official narrative sold the abolition as a gesture of generosity towards young people, when in reality, insubordination had turned military service into a major political problem. Reinstating it clashes with that precedent. Compulsion doesn't enforce itself, and the state already knows the cost of trying.

What Do You Really Learn in Military Training?

Here, versions clash head-on. One side argues that training is never a bad thing: some retain knowledge of automatic weapons, hand grenades, and light machine guns thanks to a course from the era. Another reduces it to almost nothing useful: four mornings of shooting practice emptying two magazines, and the rest of the time enduring pointless discipline to get used to obeying. In between, a memory that no one disputes: in some postings, comrades died escorting generals.

Mandatory for Them, Voluntary and Paid for Them

The most repeated complaint is about unfair comparison. It is argued that any return to service would fall on men, while female enlistment would remain voluntary and paid. And in the background, the same barrier: let those who want to go. Some propose that training should extend to all naturalized citizens and recall that there is already a corps designed for foreigners, the Legión (Spanish Foreign Legion), without needing to involve young men. A minority current mixes the issue with immigration policy; it is, however, a minority and lacks supporting data.

The Economic Cost of Urban Warfare

Against the patriotic slogan, economic analysis demands numbers that no one has calculated. The circulating scenarios describe the collapse of supply chains and a de facto dollarization of family savings if conflict reaches the cities. Rearmament, moreover, has its own bill: the defense industry secures modernization contracts for the Ejército de Tierra (Spanish Army) while public conversation remains superficial. The question isn't whether there would be soldiers. It's who pays and who profits.

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The exact point where the analysis gets stuck is always the same. It's debated whether there would be willingness, whether there would be resistance, whether barracks would remain, or whether youth would endure the strain. No one has put on the table how much it would truly cost to train and equip an entire generation. And without that number, everything else remains mere speculation.