“I think the discussion about conscription is now entirely an election issue because we have not prepared for it technically nor in terms of personnel,” Karbauskis told the radio station Žinių radijas on Friday.
“The Conservatives have nothing to tell the Lithuanian people, (&) therefore, they have chosen empty talks about conscripts and are fear mongering about unavoidable war. We regard this to be their election related attempt to intimidate the public and to claim that they are patriots. They are no patriots and are simply babbling,” said the former MP.
As reported, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Conservative leader Gabrielius Landsbergis last November called to reconsider Lithuania’s defence concept, to introduce universal conscription, a defence tax or a taxation reform.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė stated that when discussing universal conscription parliamentary parties should reach an agreement on sustainable funding sources for the national defence sector.
A conscription list has been drawn up on 4 January 2024 consisting of 27,291 names. 3,845 of the youths on the list aged 18-23 will be randomly called up to carry out 9-month military service this year.
