Sweeping changes to military service are being introduced by the new bill from the Ministry of National Defense for the Armed Forces, which was approved on Tuesday (30/9) and is expected to be put to public consultation. Notably, it features a new institutional framework concerning deferrals and exemptions, while, for the first time, it provides the possibility of voluntary military service for women aged 20 to 26 years.
Specifically, the Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, presenting the bill to journalists at the Armed Forces Officers’ Club, gave particular emphasis to the issue of deferrals and exemptions, speaking of an “increasing trend in draft dodging.” As he noted, in the last three years 30,000 conscripts moved to the I5 category, with 76% of cases attributed to psychological problems and only 24% to medical conditions.
Military service: Systematic avoidance of conscription through mental health certificates
At the same time, he made special reference to the phenomenon of systematic avoidance of conscription through mental health certificates, while referring to a “charming factory,” as more than 35,000 have been exempted in the last three years. Additionally, 38,890 conscripts remain draft dodgers abroad. “We’re talking about twenty brigades,” he said, noting that their absence becomes critical, “at a time when the homeland faces ten times greater threat.”
Thus, within this framework, the new bill significantly tightens the exemption regime for those claiming psychological problems. From now on, the duration of deferral is limited to five years and can only be granted with an opinion from a senior consultant or director of a public hospital — not just any psychologist — while the final decision will be made by the Disability Certification Center (KEPA). “Those who wear the honored uniform of the Greek soldier and go to the borders are not fools, and those who shuffle papers and get exempted are not clever,” the minister stated.
Voluntary military service for women
The new program provides for voluntary participation of women in the Armed Forces for the first time. Interested women must be aged 20 to 26 years and undertake twelve-month service. Their training will take place at the War Material Training Center in Lamia, where they will acquire specialized skills.
The pilot target for 2026 concerns 200 female volunteers, a number expected to increase gradually. This initiative forms the foundation for future mandatory conscription of women in Greece. The program includes significant incentives to attract female volunteers:
- Access to military hospitals and clubs
- Recognition of service time as prior experience
- ASEP scoring for recruitment as career military personnel
- Priority in hiring graduates as civilian staff
- Special positions for nurses, childcare workers and administrative staff
Preparation for mandatory women’s conscription
The Defense Minister clarified that mandatory women’s conscription is a long-term goal. “As soon as we fulfill this goal, we will expand our objectives,” Dendias stated characteristically. The government wants to be ready for when mandatory women’s conscription becomes necessary. “It’s not time yet, but we want to prepare for it,” the minister emphasized, underlining the strategic importance of this preparation. The voluntary program will provide valuable data and experience that will facilitate the future transition to mandatory women’s conscription, making Greece a pioneer in the region.
