The Discourse on the Formation of Permanent Compulsory Initial Military Service in Lithuania

Abstract

In liberal democracies, the aim of the national armed forces is to protect the freedom and security of society as a whole by political and military means, which leads to the rejection of compulsory military service as an obligatory form of self-defence. However, in the context of shifting geopolitical stability, the subject of compulsory military service is growing in importance in the political discourse. The present paper analyses the political discourse on the formation of permanent compulsory initial military service in Lithuania, and places a particular focus on party programmes in elections held between 1992 and 2020. The content spectrum as regards permanent compulsory initial military service represented in the party programmes of Lithuanian political parties between 1992 and 2020 is scarce, and gives a sketchy image of the service. By communicating the risks associated with being limited to professional military service alone, the Conservatives make more frequent attempts than others at creating a political discourse on permanent compulsory initial military service. By contrast, other political parties focus on the circumstances associated with the geopolitical situation.