The Swedish government plans to reintroduce civil conscription service in the country, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced during a press conference on Monday, adding that the Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) will be ordered to prepare the measure later this week.
According to Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin, the first step will be to send people with the appropriate skills to municipal rescue services to perform civil service there. He noted that as many as 3,000 recruits could become part of this first wave, but stressed during a MSB meeting last week that the details have yet to be ironed out.
“We do not know exactly how many may be covered by the duty. We see that the municipal rescue service today is not designed for the demands of a high alert and ultimately an armed attack,” Bohlin explained.
“The experience from Ukraine is clear – when it comes to protecting the civilian population, emergency services are put under very heavy pressure,” he added.