In West Europe traditionaly the army had great influence. Its a sort of military tradition with an example of the former Prussian territory having a joke saying the army has a state not the state has an army, thats how deep military culture goes. Not to mention the royal navy controling the seas etc
Now the military are pushing for more funding because obviously they looking out for themselves and the EU states have been slacking and cutting spending so the military push the propoganda that big bad Putin will attack West Europe so give us more money. I think this in part explains a bit about the conscription thingy. I mean seriously speaking Russia could never stand against the combined military industrial production of UK, France, Germany, Holland, Spain, Italy, like how? Russia would be eaten alive and only nukes would help and France , UK have those as well.