Especially given recent actions in Hungary and comments made by its top officials, head of the Slovak national party SNS, Jan Slota, is now calling for Slovakia to step up its defence efforts.
Slota says it is high time for Slovakia to get its military capabilities into shape and get young men back on some kind of compulsory military training, while also raising the standard of the home defence army. Slota told SITA newswire that whether compulsory military service is reintroduced or whether young men undergo just some kind of basic training would depend on political agreement of all parties.
Slota would like Slovakia to have more mobilisation power if required and is looking at systems abroad for inspiration, referring particularly to Austria and Switzerland. He is also calling for Slovakia to put more finances up for increasing the country’s defence capabilities, saying Slovakia “should wake up” and that at present funding is totally inadequate.
Slota fears that anyone wishing to attack Slovakia could take advantage of such a state of unpreparedness, and so also wants the system of home defence to be dealt with.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova herself pointed to the inefficient structure of Slovakia’s army, saying it has too many civil employees (around 3,000, while similar sized countries have around 500). She therefore said that the first step is to rationalise and increase the efficiency of the current military before thinking about expanding it.
Sure, and why not reintroduce chattel slavery while you’re at it, Jano?