Aleksic on mandatory military service: Are we preparing for war?

“I completed military service in barracks, I know what that is, the training lasted six months. I fail to see how anyone can be trained, in 75 days, to operate sophisticated military equipment that they’re telling us about on a daily basis,” he told Glas Sumadije.

“The real question isn’t about military service itself, but whether we’re preparing for war. If so, with whom and why?” he asked.

He said he believes the other essential question is the outflow of professional soldiers.

“If we started the process of professionalizing the military, why have we come to a situation where professional soldiers are leaving the army? It seems to me that they were guided by the logic that Serbians love the army and that it’s good for young people. Maybe it is, but in terms of security, it won’t make it stronger compared to the current moment,” said Aleksic.

He added that his party will consult with experts and take an official stance on this matter.

“There is no strategic thinking here, just rashness, populism, marketing…” said Aleksic, adding that, like everything else in the country, the Serbian military is often used for political games.