Military service in Europe: the state of play

The growing threat from Russia and the risk of renewed conflict in Europe have thrown a spotlight on the continent's varied military service models.

Some countries never scrapped conscription, while others have moved to reintroduce voluntary schemes, such as France on Thursday.

Here is an overview of military service in Europe:

- Who has kept it? -

In Denmark, the government last year extended military service from four to 11 months and, since July 1, has made it compulsory for women as well. Young Danes are selected at random, according to the armed forces' needs.

Conscripts in Finland serve between six, nine, or 12 months, depending on their specialty and rank. They are then placed in the reserves, where they can be called back to activ

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