No more illusions : strategic autonomy as Europe's democratic imperative

Since the 1970s, the oft-cited question ‘Whom do I call when I want to call Europe?’ has pointed to recurrent shortcomings in Europe’s ability to project coherent political leadership and strategic credibility. After the Cold War, the shift in many European states from universal conscription to smaller professional forces further weakened societal resilience – an issue brought into sharper focus by Russia’s war against Ukraine. Several European countries now face practical challenges in generating mass, mobilising reserve forces, and sustaining whole-of-society preparedness. Democratic resilience depends not only on formal institutions but also on civic responsibility and psychological readiness, which conscription can help to cultivate. From this perspective, universal conscription alongside other forms of national service examined in this paper can be conceptualised as a stabilising societal mechanism that strengthens security while reinforcing ultimately democratic values and the European way of life.