According to Chat-GPT, conscript service costs the state approximately 300-400 million euros annually. Relative to GDP, it is approximately 0.10 - 0.13% of GDP. With the current model, including conscript service as part of defense spending (which I think would be a sensible thing to do) does not significantly increase its share of GDP, as conscript service accounts for only about 5-7% of the 6.2 billion euro defense budget.
If we genuinely want conscript service to increase Finland’s GDP percentage, there’s a simple way to do it. Let’s raise that 6.1 euro daily allowance to the level of an actual salary. Pay 100€/day and double for Sundays.
Source: https://intti.fi/paivaraha-ja-varusraha
In this case, the calculation changes, and I asked Wikipedia for a little help: In 2023, approximately 4,138,000 military service days were completed in Finland. If 100€ is paid for each, the price tag is approximately 414 million euros. This doubles the military service budget and raises the percentage of GDP from 0.13% to 0.26%.
This alone would not raise Finland’s defense budget to the 5% level, but I would imagine it would have strong public support, and I would assume that the income would largely remain in the country, either to be spent or, for the more prudent, to cover study costs after military service. Additionally, this income could even be taxed. The current daily allowance is tax-free income.
Well, perhaps this isn’t possible in today’s world, when people are being laid off, the unemployed are being pressured, and change negotiations are taking place in social and health care regions. Some of the population is experiencing significant income losses and unemployment, even though they want to work, so raising conscripts’ allowances might be a politically difficult issue.
But other things can be done. There is a lot of unemployment in Finland, especially in Eastern Finland. What if Finland started developing the defense line of the Eastern border, for example, by building fortifications and other artificial obstacles to advancement, and offered jobs to the unemployed in the Finnish Defence Forces uniform for the next 5 years? If nothing else, then perhaps as a construction site assistant, a driver, a commander’s assistant, or other relatively quickly learnable tasks under expert supervision. Not a perfect solution for everything, but it could be part of a social solution to unemployment and to instill self-belief and faith in the country’s future in people.
I remember when I was 18, putting on the uniform for the first time at the barracks; it instinctively straightened my back, and when I looked at my bunkmates, behind the late-teen jokes and banter, I saw camaraderie and pride in a common cause. It’s not impossible later in life either, as many have already gained life experience. At that point, such camaraderie is already deeply appreciated.
Let’s appreciate each other, whether we are in uniform or not. Happy Midsummer to everyone!
