Dr Oliver Hartwich: Europe will not be able to fight the return of conscription

More than two years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shattered the continent’s illusion of perpetual peace, Europe finds itself confronting a once-unthinkable question: is it time to bring back the draft?

For decades, conscription seemed like a relic of a bygone era. As the Cold War faded into history, countries across Europe eagerly embraced the model of all-volunteer, professional militaries. Compulsory service was consigned to the history books.