Everybody has to defend Hungary in case of an attack – here are the rules
How to defend Hungary in case of a foreign attack? Who can be drafted? Would all male citizens have to go to fight on the front lines? Who can remain at home or flee with their families? Here are the answers.
All Hungarians must defend Hungary
Like other countries, Hungary has different rules for peacetime and in an extreme situation. However, in the case of a foreign attack, all physically fit Hungarian male citizens become conscripts between the ages of 18 and 50.
In peacetime, volunteers are the basis of the Hungarian military system, a law accepted in 2004 states. They receive payment for their service. However, in a crisis, for example, if the country was attacked, everybody would have to defend Hungary. In Ukraine, every male citizen aged 18-60 has to defend the country. The only exceptions are those who raise at least three children. If they can prove that, the Ukrainian authorities allow them to leave the country even now, and it is up to them whether they return if their families are safe. Based on reports, many do so.
Of course, there are examples of opposite attitudes. We reported HERE that
a Hungarian citizen tried to smuggle out conscripts from Ukraine for 15,000 USD.
Furthermore, even the former Ukrainian prosecutor general tried to escape saying he had three kids in France. However, despite showing a photocopied document, the border guards did not believe him, nor did they let him leave. Meanwhile, most of the Transcarpathian Hungarians do not have to serve in the Ukrainian army. That is because they have Hungarian citizenship, as well.
An army of 2 million soldiers
In Hungary, you have to join the military in case of foreign attack if you are a male citizen and provided you are between 18 and 50. Interestingly, the age limit was 40 before, but the parliament raised it to 50 in 2018, blikk.hu reported.
The same applies in the case of, for example, natural disasters when the conscripts have to carry out disaster management tasks.
The Hungarian government highlighted several times that Hungary and the people living in the country are safe because they do not support any attempts to drag Hungary into war. With such statements, the government referred to the joint opposition, which would have allowed weapons and military equipment to cross Hungary towards Ukraine. The government believes such a decision would drag Hungary into war and make Transcarpathian Hungarians a target of Russian aggression.
It might be useful to know for foreign citizens that even if you have an address card in Hungary, but you are not a Hungarian citizen, you cannot be drafted.
The constitution clears that conscripted Hungarian citizens must defend the country with weapons in the case of a foreign attack.
Currently, Hungary could create an army of almost 2 million soldiers if all conscripts were drafted.
Featured image: illustration. A Ukrainian soldier shows Ukrainian citizens how to use different weapons.
Source: Blikk