Lithuania did the same two years later. However, after the Russian aggression in Ukraine, compulsory military service in Lithuania was reinstated. Meanwhile Estonia has maintained compulsory military service throughout and support for it remains high in the country.
So should Latvia follow its Baltic neighbors with a return to compulsory military service? Perhaps other forms of national service should also be considered such as voluntary or charity work? The pros and cons are discussed in the latest 'Būris' debate from Brussels.
As usual the conversation is chaired by LTV's Brussels correspondent Ilze Nagla, who is joined by two MEPs with special insight into the issue: Rasa Juknevičienė, a Lithuanian MEP (Group of the European People's Party) and former Lithuanian Defense Minister, and former commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Riho Terras (Group of the European People's Party).
The Brussels discussions in English are bolstered by local Latvian-language debates on related issues. You can see the list of topics that will be covered at the dedicated Būris web page on LSM. These include animal welfare, multiculturalism, euthanasia, and other controversial themes.
The Būris ('Cage') project is co-financed by the European Union.
