„Today's times are challenging, dangerous, and potentially perilous, the most dangerous since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Just that crisis lasted 13 days, and this has been going on for 23 months. In this situation, the Croatian military and Croatian politics, homeland politics, must primarily take care of Croatian interests and Croatian security. Of course, being aware that it must also be loyal and honest to its allies, but not in a position to answer for other people's decisions and moves that can be far-reaching and dangerous“, said the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, Zoran Milanović, today at the solemn promotion of the graduates of the military schools of the Croatian Military Academy „Dr. Franjo Tuđman“. Warning that this is a reality that needs to be stated, President Milanović added: „We do not know when this situation will end. It can end peacefully, which I wish for and advocate for as much as I can, hoping that justice will prevail, that the attacked will be protected, that the attacker will ultimately bear greater consequences“.

Current situation in the armed forces
President Milanović spoke about the current state of the Armed Forces. „We have been building our professional army for years, since 2008 exclusively a professional army with a small number of those who apply for voluntary military training. Some of them choose the military profession. However, Croatia currently lacks 2500 non-commissioned officers, without which there is no army. And that's not the only thing without which there is no army. There is no army without soldiers either, and we lack 1500-2000 soldiers. We have enough officers. This is a problem, and it is a demographic or structural gap faced by all Western armies, all our allies. No one succeeds in filling the army according to plans and projections as it should be“, said the President, who believes that people are scared and afraid because of the current situation in the world and the war in Ukraine, and all this drives them away from the military calling.

On the introduction of mandatory military service
In the context of introducing mandatory military service in Croatia, which has been announced for a long time, President Milanović said: „In Croatia, there has been talk for months about mandatory military service, although the Croatian Constitution leaves very little room for this. Mandatory military service was abolished because a small number opted for military service, and everyone chose civil service. Now, when there is a lot of talk about it, we need to be reasonable and responsible. Do we have the means for it? This is a topic for discussion at the highest and most responsible level, to conclude whether we can do it. And if we can, how? Do we have enough soldiers, what is the staffing of professional soldiers, do we have enough non-commissioned officers, and where will these people go when conscripts come for several months to be trained. These are questions that need clear answers, and then a decision must be made“, said President Milanović.

The decision on mandatory military service can be made, President Milanović warned, „only at the highest and constitutional bodies intended for this, not within some kind of debating clubs“. „We must seek answers to such capital questions with joint efforts, with more heads, with the same purpose and goal, and that is the defense of the Homeland - which is the key task of the Croatian military“, said the President of the Republic.

Promotion of military school graduates
At the ceremony at the Croatian Military Academy „Dr. Franjo Tuđman“, 130 graduates from Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Germany received their diplomas today. The President of the Republic personally handed out diplomas to the graduates of the Basic Officer School and cadets, and the first officer ranks to the new officers of the Armed Forces. The rank of lieutenant was awarded to 57 graduates of the 23rd generation of Basic Officer Training at the „Andrija Matijaš Pauk“ Officer School and 5 cadet candidates of the 16th and 17th generations of military pilots of the Croatian Air Force, namely: Stjepan Ergović, Mario Galović, Ivan Maras-Miladinov, Stjepan Pandžić, David Pejaković, Manuela Pužar, Dijana Žabić, Petar Gregorović, Matej Ravlić, Antonio Sučić, Toni Božić, Luka Grgić, Jerko Marušić, Marin Mikulić, Antonija Pintarić, Karlo Fabijan, Lea Biloglav, Ana Ćenan, Antea Ivičević, Petricija Knežić, Antonija Lemo, Ivana Novaković, Lucija Piršlin, Lucija Tošić, Ivana Vučko, Stipe Ćurković, Ivan Dajak, Antonio Knežević, Josip Kovačević, Branimir Kraljiček, Denis Kuzminski, Vladimir Leko, Borna Marinić, Petar Mihaljević, Emil Pajalić, Lovro Perković, Jure Šarić, Anamarija Biočić, Ivana Mijač, Borna Bakran, Karlo Kinčić, Borna Mazija, Josip Modrušan, Petra Delalić, Nikolina Knežević, Ivan Hadžić, Ivan Hodak, Ivan Llewellin, Petar Pavković, Karlo Seke, Filip Soldić, Vedran Zekan, Anamaria Čugura, Mateja Kaniški, Antonija Marinac, Lucija Šako, Doris Trgovec, Ante Franić, Ariana Andreić, Ana Plantaš, Matija Vršić, Boško Šutalo.

The diplomas to the graduates of the High NCO School and the Inter-Branch Command and Staff School were handed out by the State Secretary and the representative of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Branko Hrg, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, the Commander of the Croatian Military Academy „Dr. Franjo Tuđman“ Major General Slaven Zdilar, and the Head of the Center for Military Schools „Petar Zrinski“ Brigadier Damir Stručić.

Attending officials
Along with President Milanović were the President's Defense Advisor Ivica Olujić, the President's National Security Advisor Dragan Lozančić, the Secretary of the Military Office Colonel Siniša Marić, and the President's Aide-de-camp Brigadier Vlado Čulina.