Romanians and the Volunteer Army

Romania has a shortage of soldiers

Roxana Vasile, 21.02.2024, 14:32

Romania has a shortage of soldiers. The state is about to call on young people to opt, in the near future, for a paid voluntary tour of military training with the Ministry of Defense.

The authorities are currently working on updating the legislation on preparing the population for defense. A draft law initiated in 2019 by the general defense staff and put into decisional transparency in 2022 is in the interministerial approval circuit. It proposes that people between 18 and 35 years of age, regardless of gender, with permanent residence in Romania, be able to voluntarily participate in a basic military training program of a maximum of four months. They would be able to learn how to handle different types of weapons, to participate in outdoor orientation, decontamination, or first aid courses. During this time, they would benefit from free accommodation, equipment, and food, and would receive a monthly allowance similar to military staff at the rank of soldier, of about 3,000 lei (600 euros). At the end of the program, a bonus representing three gross average salaries is included. Students could also do internships to gain basic knowledge in the military field, upon request, during university vacations. All those who follow a voluntary training program would either be part of the available reserve of the Romanian Army, or could enter a selection to become professional soldiers with a contract of employment in the armed forces.

Military officials insist, and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu reinforces: neither is it about returning to the mandatory army, nor – despite the tense geopolitical context – is the country preparing for any war. But – specialists add – they must prepare for defense! Here is Marcel Ciolacu:

“Every country must prepare for the worst, but one must not focus on the context of the war in Ukraine and think that there is a danger from Russia to Romania! There is no danger in that sense, but we really need a normal country, and then you have to anticipate certain things, like this paid voluntary system, where people train and learn the basics of the art of defense. It’s the right approach, but it didn’t have to be crammed in in the context of a border war, so that Romania would understand from this news that, alas, war is coming upon us! No war is coming!”

The law on voluntary military service has the deadline for adoption in Parliament in June. Romania currently has a deficit of both active military personnel and reservists. It would rely, if necessary, on approximately 70,000 active military personnel, compared to over 300,000 in the 1990s, and on a reserve in a natural aging process composed mainly of those who performed mandatory military service until 2007, the year it was suspended. In an interview for Radio Romania, reserve Lieutenant General Virgil Bălăceanu, president of the Association of Reserve Officers from Romania, explains why we ended up in this situation:

“States like Poland have intuited, ever since the suspension of compulsory military service, the need for a fresh, young, and permanently trained reserve force. On the other hand, in Romania, with the suspension of compulsory military service, the reserve no longer mattered. The political measures are late at this stage, and I will give you an example that is conclusive. Poland adopted the Voluntary Reservist Law in 2009, when it suspended compulsory military service. Romania implements such a law ten years after the suspension of compulsory military service. And now we are witnessing a two-year delay in the arrival of the law for training the population for defense, which has a provision regarding voluntary paid service with the same delay, which is irresponsible. Things are due, somewhere, to the misunderstanding by political leaders, even by the military leaders of the Romanian army, after the suspension of the compulsory military service, that the reserve is not necessary, the reservists are no longer so important. We are now in the 12th hour, and only the dignified and responsible position of General Vlad, the head of the Ministry of Defense, triggered a process that should have been triggered two years ago.”

Out in the street, the opinions of young people are divided. Here’s what they answer to the question of whether, if necessary, they would go to battle:

“-: It’s my country and I would probably go, but only because of that.

-: I would be going, because it’s my country, they are my ancestors, I can’t not go.

-: If I was called, yes.

-: No, I wouldn’t go, I would find solutions to ʹskip the processʹ. Mainly, I’m afraid of war, that’s all.

-: Honestly, I would like not to, but now, no, I have to.

-: I would do anything to help humanity!

-: I am a Romanian citizen, isn’t it normal that we all participate?

-: I don’t necessarily want it to happen, but if necessary, yes, but personally I would rather go for something more pacifist.”

According to a recent opinion poll conducted by Avangarde, the majority of Romanians, 71%, say that the Romanian armed forces would not cope if the country were attacked. Asked if they are willing to undergo military training, 37% of the general population agree, 57% do not. On the same question, 14% of 18- to 35-year-olds are in favor, while 77% are against. On the other hand, 69 out of 100 Romanians believe that the North Atlantic Alliance would jump to help, knowing that NATO membership offers Romania the strongest security guarantees in history. Specialists in the military field draw attention, however, to the fact that, although Romania is part of the Alliance, the latter does not respond, in case of danger, as if it were a call to the emergency telephone number 112, intervening in a few minutes.