– The threshold must be high to escape – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country

Stavanger Ap wants all young people to complete a compulsory year after upper secondary school. This means that they will be obliged to do one year of military or community service.

For those young people who do not want to serve in the Armed Forces, Mossige and Stavanger Ap suggest that they can work in, for example, humanitarian organizations or the health sector.

– We want everyone to have the chance to contribute to society, said Mossige during the Debate on NRK on Tuesday.

You can watch the entire broadcast here:

No way out

He believes this will increase preparedness skills in society.

Of course, there will be those who for various reasons will resist a year of service, regardless of whether it concerns the military or civilian service.

But if one were to be unmotivated or fundamentally opposed to the whole concept, there is no way around it.

– I’m not going to sit here and hand out prison sentences. But basically everyone must be included, so the threshold must be very high to drop.

NOK 6,600 a month

When pay is mentioned, Mossige highlights the daily wage in the Armed Forces, which is currently NOK 221 a day – or NOK 6,600 a month.

He acknowledges that this salary is low, and that salary is something that can be discussed.

When asked how to treat disabled young people in this process, Mossige suggests having an adapted programme, but he also hopes that this scheme will help prevent young people becoming disabled.

Skeptical

But not everyone is equally positive about the introduction of a compulsory year. Ane Breivik, leader of Unge Venstre, calls the proposal “authoritarian”.

– It is not close to solving the challenges Norway is facing. Rogaland Ap’s proposal is for thousands of young people to spend a year of their lives as unskilled workers rather than studying, to get a job and serve society that way, she says.

She clarifies that the Liberal Party is in favor of an extended conscription, but that they are skeptical about forcing young people into work.

One of the more criticized parts of Stavanger Ap’s proposal is to use compulsory years to fill places in the health service.

Maren-Johanne Hveding Stifjell, who is in her third year as a health secretary in Bodø, is skeptical of the plans.

– A healthcare worker spends two years at upper secondary school, and two years as an apprentice. The sick and elderly are a vulnerable group and it takes a long time to be educated.