Survey finds 76% back universal conscription by 2030

Some 76% of surveyed Lithuanian residents support introducing universal military conscription by 2030, LRT reported, citing Tomas Godliauskas, director of the Visuotinė gynyba association.

“Residents are ready and expect decision-makers to move to universal conscription within the next three years,” Godliauskas said at a press conference on Friday.

More than 25% of respondents support introducing universal conscription by 2030, while 51% want it implemented as soon as possible. Nearly 8% support introducing it after 2030, while 12% say Lithuania does not need universal conscription. Four percent had no opinion.

Edmundas Jakilaitis, head of the Stiprūs kartu civic initiative and a board member of Visuotinė gynyba, said more than two-thirds of respondents across all social groups, age groups and regions supported introducing universal conscription by 2030.

People aged 60 to 84 were more supportive of introducing the model quickly, while respondents aged 18 to 29 showed less support, Godliauskas said.

Respondents expressed a preference for universal conscription of men. Some 40.1% said all men should be called up, while nearly 19% said the obligation should apply to both men and women.

Among those asked how conscription for women should be organised, 51.5% supported voluntary service in a wider range of forms. Nearly 13% said women should follow the same system as men, while 35% said women should not be included in universal conscription.

Godliauskas said higher-income residents were more supportive than the national average of women taking part in universal conscription.

Norstat conducted the representative survey for the Visuotinė gynyba association in August. It questioned 1,501 respondents by internet and telephone. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.