The detachment of civil society as regards defence issues

Abstract

The article describes the present relationship of the Spanish Government and Society towards national defence issues, a year after the professional Army was introduced. Although the professionalization of the Spanish Armed Forces was endorsed by widespread social approval (as it meant the suppression of compulsory military service), the new setting, as it requires human and material resources, seems to be facing collective attitudes and images hardly propitious inducing young people to apply to the armed forces (at least, according to present low salaries) and, to convince civil society that more means that those assigned at present are required to maintain a professional Army in Spain, thereby contributing also to Europe defence.