stern survey
Majority not convinced by Pistorius’ military service plans
To serve or not to serve – this is a question that 18-year-olds will be increasingly confronted with in the future. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to reform military service.
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Because the Bundeswehr lacks new recruits, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to reorganize military service. What Germans think about the Defense Minister’s drastic plans.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to make it mandatory for 18-year-old men to fill out a questionnaire. However, the decision to join the Bundeswehr remains voluntary. 5,000 new soldiers are to be recruited in this way every year and at least temporarily close the large personnel gap in the army.
A survey commissioned by star and RTL Deutschland found that a small majority of Germans – 51 percent – are not convinced that Pistorius’ plans will achieve their goal. Young people are particularly skeptical: 56 percent of 18-29 year olds believe that the plan will not work. The majority of women also rate the prospects of success negatively (55 percent).
This is what party supporters think about Boris Pistorius’ military service plans
Supporters of the SPD and FDP have the most confidence in the defense minister’s plans (59 and 60 percent say yes, it will work). The Greens are not quite as optimistic (54 percent). Only a good third of AfD and Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW) voters are convinced that the number of soldiers could be increased in this way.
Some politicians see the defence minister’s plans as the first step towards a new military service model. The Bundestag’s Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl (SPD), says in an interview with star: “Voluntariness is important, but in the long term there also needs to be an obligation.”