The government has approved a new The concept of preparing citizens for national defencewhich will set the direction for the development of the system of preparing citizens for defence until 2030. The Concept, in relation to the Defence Strategy of the Czech Republic, reflects the need for a change in the overall approach to defence, which requires the involvement of the whole state and society, as the provision of defence is not the task of the Ministry of Defence and the armed forces alone.
The need for a new Concept is based on the fundamental and long-term deterioration of the security situation in Europe. In practice, the preparation of citizens for the defence of the state has so far been focused on only a small part of society, especially primary and secondary school pupils and students, and has not covered all the knowledge and skills needed in a crisis situation. "The new Concept is based on the Government's ambition to significantly extend the scope of preparing citizens for defence and contains a number of practical measures to achieve this," explains the Minister of Defence Jana Cernochová. The obligation to prepare the Concept is also based on the Act on the Provision of Defence of the Czech Republic and replaces the Concept of Preparation of Citizens for the Defence of the State 2019-2024.
The defence of the country is a matter for the whole state and society
The aim of the Concept is to gradually extend defence preparedness to the whole population. Preparation will therefore no longer focus only on pupils and students, but also on other citizens or selected target groups. A number of initiatives and activities already carried out by the various authorities contribute to citizens' preparedness in the field of security and defence. However, there is no single system for such preparation, and efforts are fragmented and lack coordination. "Preparing citizens to defend the state must therefore be part of the broader security preparation of the population," adds the Minister of Defence. The Concept thus sets out tasks aimed at gradually creating a coordinated government-wide system for preparing citizens in the area of security.
The four pillars
Preparing citizens for national defence will now be based on four pillars: education, cooperation with NGOs, national defence planning and strategic communication.
- Within the education pillar, the inclusion of defence-security topics in the education system is a priority. This will be supported by the army's educational actions in schools and the education of teachers. Education of public administration employees and employees of defence-relevant companies will also be an important aspect.
- Preparation will be further enhanced through enhanced cooperation with appropriate NGOs. Cooperation may be through bilateral Memoranda of Cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, accreditation and grants.
- In the framework of national defence planning, the tasks of municipalities and regions in preparing citizens for defence will be defined more specifically. The appropriate form of preparation for defence in crisis situations will also be specified more precisely.
- Strategic communication is one of the main tools for defence preparedness. Through it, the State will raise public awareness of security and defence, transfer information and develop knowledge relevant for defence and strengthening societal resilience.
Cooperation is the key to success
The concept evaluates a number of current activities as beneficial and wants to develop them further. One of them is closer cooperation with associations, which began to develop in 2023. The first memoranda of cooperation in the area of preparing citizens for national defence were concluded with the Czech Orienteering Association, the League Football Association and the Orel Association. This was followed in 2024 by cooperation with the Czech Sokol Association, the Czech Red Cross and the Association of Sports Associations of the Czech Republic.
The Ministry of Defence also supports associations whose activities contribute to strengthening the defence capability of the Czech Republic through subsidies. In 2023, 69 projects were supported and in 2024, 89 projects were supported.
The Ministry of Defence also cooperates with the academic sphere. In the summer semester of the academic year 2024-2025, the Faculty of Education of Charles University in cooperation with the University of Defence will conduct a pilot teaching of the course Introduction to Defence and Security Issues.
"In the current security situation, the state is obliged not only to ensure the defence of the state itself, but also to offer citizens knowledge and skills that they can use not only in the defence of the state or in a crisis situation, but also in everyday life. The new Concept will help us to do this," concluded the Minister of Defence.
Questions and Answers
- The Czech Republic is not in danger, why should citizens prepare for defence?
You can't stick your head in the sand and paint reality pink. The security situation is not good and we must be prepared. The most serious threat to the security of the Czech Republic is Russia, which has long made it clear that its power ambitions do not end in Ukraine. It has not yet come to terms with the collapse of the Soviet bloc and its efforts to control Central and Eastern Europe have not ended. Russia officially regards us as its enemies. It put our country on the list of 'unfriendly' states as early as May 2021.
Through cyber attacks, disinformation campaigns and sabotage actions, they seek to undermine stability, social cohesion, the effectiveness of decision-making processes and the defences of our country and our allies. With the attack on the ammunition depots in Vrbětice, which was carried out by Russian soldiers on active duty and killed two Czech citizens, Russia has shown that it does not hesitate to carry out even deadly sabotage operations on our territory.
- You're introducing conscription?
We are not introducing, the obligations of citizens based on conscription are not changed in any way. Conscription has been part of our legal system since the Czech Republic was founded. Compulsory conscription was abolished in 2004 and there are currently no plans to reintroduce it.
A citizen may currently voluntarily assume the performance of conscription. He or she may become a conscript, apply for inclusion in the active reserve of the armed forces, participate in voluntary military exercises or take advantage of the voluntary pre-designation option to replenish the armed forces.
The Concept addresses the preparation of citizens for defence beyond the scope of conscription, or beyond the possibilities of its voluntary assumption. It aims at the acquisition of knowledge and skills in the field of defence and the preparedness of citizens for crisis situations.
- Does the Concept renew conscription education in schools?
The re-introduction of conscription education is not planned and is not an objective of the Concept. The Concept only seeks to include defence topics in the educational process. The aim is not to prepare pupils and students for military service, but to educate them about the importance of security and defence and to equip them with skills that can be useful in everyday life, such as first aid or crisis management in general.
The teaching of defence and security is based on the values of freedom, civil rights and democracy, not on the promotion of war.
- Why should all citizens prepare to defend themselves when we have a professional army?
Security threats affect not only the state and its institutions, but also society and individual citizens. They are increasingly becoming the target of hostile action and have an indispensable role in building defence capabilities. It would therefore be irresponsible not to prepare citizens for these threats.
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC/ gnews - RoZ
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