Defense Minister says there are “no political conditions” for the return of compulsory military service

The Minister of National Defense admitted that “there are no political conditions today” for the resumption of compulsory military service (MCS), suggesting that young people who choose the Armed Forces have better conditions for entering university or public service.

At a luncheon for the 13th edition of Universidade Europa, the PSD’s political learning initiative, Nuno Melo also defended that military service could be an alternative for young people who commit petty crimes, instead of being placed in institutions that “basically stop things, they only work like a school of crime for life.”

“How many of these young men who, instead of being institutionalized without any conditions, had the opportunity to perform military service, had the opportunity to exercise learning, authority, values, were not able to go on to become much better citizens, and were simply not given that opportunity? ” he asked.

Both in his initial speech and in responses to questions from “students” of this policy learning initiative, the Secretary of Defense rejected the return of compulsory military service.

“We do not need compulsory military service, at the moment there are not even political conditions for introducing SMO. But there are a number of possibilities that take into account situations already experienced in other countries, such as Sweden,” he said.

Nuno Melo gave the example that “one year of voluntary military experience”, which could ultimately give young people “ease in entering university” or “integration of civil service in certain fields”, could be a “pathway” for those who would like to sign a contract with the Armed Forces from military life.

“We must create the conditions so that young people can have this opportunity, which must be attractive, and we will try to do this,” he said, asking about 70 young people present at the Universidade Europa to “try this experience.”

“Help show the whole country that the Armed Forces are not the past, but our identity. I guarantee that many of you will like it,” he emphasized.

At a dinner themed “EU Defense and Security”, the minister also warned about what he considers unfair treatment of soldiers when fighting fires.

“The only difference is that while a firefighter, who puts out fires and other entities, has a complement assigned to him – and since we are talking about very dangerous functions – a soldier does the same and does not receive more. That’s why this is one of things I want to change,” he said.

Nuno Melo reiterated the PSD/SDS government’s commitment to “doing justice” to former combatants and criticized PS leaders on defense issues.

“Every time the left came to power, the armed forces kept pace,” he criticized, lamenting those who dismissed submarine investment as a “jokes.”

The Secretary of National Defense pointed to NATO as the first guarantee of global peace and promised that the country would move “realistically” towards its commitment to invest 2% of gross domestic product in defense and increase investment in military university education and defense industry.

Nuno Melo also recalled the role of Gouveia e Melo, former coordinator of the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan and now Chief of Staff of the Navy.

“With Covid, everything went well because the person who was responsible had the ability, but he also had the ability because he was a soldier. Anyone familiar with military culture knows that it is all about planning, about goals being set and achieved. down to the millimeter,” he said.

At the end of the dinner-conference, the leader of the SDS-NP also recalled that the European elections will take place in a month and a half, and left an appeal to the young people taking part in the 13th edition of the University of Europe: “We must win, and this is going through many of you.” , – he said.

The European elections will be held in Portugal on June 9, and the PSD, CDS-PP and PPM will once again compete in the joint list of the Democratic Alliance (AD) coalition.