Recruitment into National Army under scrutiny by Ombudsman following multiple complaints

The process of recruiting and conscripting young people into the National Army has come under the attention of the Ombudsman after the institution received several complaints and reports regarding possible irregularities and systemic issues. Ombudsman Ceslav Panico has ordered the launch of an ex officio investigation to verify respect for human rights in the recruitment process and the functioning of the alternative civilian service.

According to the Ombudsman Office, information gathered from the complaints received and from other sources indicates the existence of problems that cannot be clarified and remedied by examining each case separately.

The investigation will analyze the legal framework and how the recruitment process is carried out from the perspective of transparency, predictability and clarity of procedures. It will also examine respect for human dignity during recruitment, the safeguarding of young people’s right to education, practices whereby some educational institutions condition the issuance of study documents, the activity of local and territorial recruitment commissions, the fairness of medical examinations, as well as the effectiveness of procedures for appealing conscription decisions.

Monitoring will be carried out over three consecutive recruitment cycles – spring–summer 2026, autumn 2026–winter 2027 and spring–summer 2027, and the conclusions will be included in a thematic report containing recommendations for improving the legal framework and existing procedures.

The Ombudsman stressed that this initiative does not seek to hinder or challenge the process of recruitment and conscription into military service or the constitutional obligation to defend the homeland, but to help ensure that it is conducted in a transparent, clear and predictable manner, in line with national and international human rights standards.

At the same time, the Ombudsman issued a call to young people, parents, relatives, teachers, representatives of educational institutions, public authorities, the media and other persons involved in the recruitment process to submit information about possible abuses, difficulties encountered, legislative gaps or examples of good practice.