The recruitment problems the Czech army is facing are part of a broader European trend.

Despite rising European tensions and widespread efforts to bolster military forces, the Czech Republic was able to increase its army by only 176 soldiers last year, with recruitment remaining a major challenge. As European nations increase their defence spending and expand their military, the Czech Republic’s struggle to attract new recruits raises concerns about its long-term military readiness.

The Czech army currently numbers around 24 thousand, but the government aims to increase this to over 37 thousand by 2030. However, as Chief of General Staff Karel Rehka pointed out last week, recruitment remains a major obstacle.

„Our plan for 2030 targets 30,000 personnel, yet last year, we recruited so few soldiers that the total increase was only 176,”

he admitted. The Czech army’s recruitment problems are part of a wider European trend. A Gallup poll last year showed a decline in the willingness of citizens to defend their country with weapons in hand. In the selected countries, 61 per cent of respondents expressed readiness to fight in 2014, but by 2023, this figure dropped to 52 per cent. While countries such as Finland, Poland and Sweden maintain relatively high levels of readiness to defend their nation, the Czech Republic has struggled to trigger the same commitment. Some nations are addressing recruitment shortfalls by changing service requirements. Ukraine, for example, has lowered the age of conscription from 27 to 25, and Israel has extended the period of compulsory military service.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, however, has rejected the idea of introducing similar measures and favours a model of a voluntary, professional army with an emphasis on active reservists.

„I am convinced that the only way is a modern professional army. We must utilize the elements already in place, such as active reservists, to create opportunities for all citizens who voluntarily want to contribute to their country’s defence according to their abilities,”

he said in a statement quoted by Echo24.

To boost recruitment, Czech military officials are introducing measures such as improving living conditions for soldiers, making service more compatible with family life and digitising recruitment processes. They have also looked at secondary school training programmes and the concept of voluntary pre-enlistment, which allows individuals to undergo medical examinations and do military service in the event of a national emergency.