The Swedish government is expanding total national defense and restoring the so-called civil obligation. Those covered by it must accept the work assigned to them in times of crisis or war.
The change in the security situation leads to the expansion of total national defense in Sweden and the reintroduction of the so-called civil obligation.
There is no similar system in Finland, but the civil obligation is placed in the middle ground between the work obligation and civic service.
Civil service is part of Sweden’s overall national defense. It supports Sweden’s national defense, but it is therefore not about military but civilian tasks.
Civil obligation was used and popular in the 1990s, but in 2008 it was discontinued.
Now the war in Ukraine is the prime minister by Ulf Kristersson has shown how fragile civil society is. That’s why the government wants to restore the civil obligation.
Kristersson’s government now has a minister responsible for civil defense and crisis preparedness. A moderate coalition is in charge Carl-Oskar Bohlinwhich says that the previous holder of the same ministerial post was later a legendary prime minister Tage Erlander.
In the first step, we are looking for firefighters
In the first stage, the civil obligation applies to persons who, during a crisis or war, move to work in municipal rescue operations. According to Bohlin, it has become clear that the current rescue operation is not sufficient to operate during a crisis or war.
Now the goal is 1,500–2,000 people.
– So now we are looking for people who have the firefighter training required by the municipal rescue service, but who are now in other jobs. They are assigned a wartime task, further training and exercises are organized for them. They are the reinforcement needed in times of crisis or war.
The purpose of the board is to extend the obligation to other trade unions as well.
According to Bohlin, the government will also find out whether unarmed conscript service can be returned.
Since 1995, a total national defense obligation has been in force in Sweden, which applies to everyone aged 16–70. In practice, it means that everyone has an obligation to participate in either military or civilian duties when faced with a crisis or war.
Those who have received the training leave their jobs in a crisis situation and move to assigned tasks, for example in rescue operations or healthcare. Others continue in their own professions.
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