Kasčiūnas says conservatives will seek universal conscription

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats, said the party would initiate a political process to introduce universal mandatory conscription, LRT reported.

Kasčiūnas made the announcement at the party congress on Saturday, where the conservatives are presenting their programme for next year’s municipal elections. He said the party needed not only organisational and personnel changes but also a stronger focus on defence.

“Our first priority is and will remain Lithuania’s security and defence,” Kasčiūnas said, citing Russia’s military threat and arguing that total defence should form the basis of the country’s defence policy.

“That is why we clearly say that Lithuania needs universal mandatory conscription. The Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats will soon initiate a political process on its introduction,” he said.

A poll commissioned by the Universal Defence association and presented last week found that nearly 80 percent of Lithuania’s residents support introducing universal conscription. Representatives of the armed forces, however, have said that the current number of conscripts is sufficient.

Kasčiūnas also highlighted defence innovation and the need to introduce new technologies into the armed forces more quickly. He called for greater attention to air defence and said Lithuania needed to calculate the capabilities and funding required to protect its airspace fully, as well as prepare a plan to reach that goal.

He said the party would also focus more on social, nursing and healthcare services. Kasčiūnas added that the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats was the most trusted party according to polls and said it aimed to form a majority in the next parliament.

He criticised the governing Social Democratic Party, saying it was focused only on managing day-to-day affairs, favouring its own people and avoiding more serious reforms.

Kasčiūnas’s speech came amid debate within the conservative party over its decision to nominate businessman and public figure Šarūnas Jasiukevičius, a former member of the National Union, as its candidate for mayor of Kaunas.