Status: 02/26/2023 07:08 a.m
The FDP rejects a return to conscription. Instead, the party has now proposed a strengthened reserve as part of a modern Bundeswehr. What she understands by that emerges from a draft for deliberations of the party presidium.
The FDP has reiterated its opposition to a return to conscription, proposing instead a strengthening of the Bundeswehr reserve. Reservists could become a stronger component in a modern and powerful Bundeswehr, according to a decision paper for tomorrow’s deliberations of the party presidium, which is available to the dpa news agency. In this way, practitioners and professionals would be integrated into the Bundeswehr, it is said.
“This ranges from IT experts who work part-time, to more people who have military knowledge and reserves for disaster protection in new homeland security units, to top managers who contribute their know-how,” it says Draft. The “cyber reserve” could be a role model. The goal is further developed areas of the reserve in which regular use and permanent knowledge transfer between the Bundeswehr, business and civil society takes place.
Consideration of possible general rank for reservists
According to the paper, it would also be conceivable “that self-employed persons or employees of a civilian company who do not want to become professional soldiers voluntarily commit themselves over a longer period of time to monthly military exercises or other services within the framework of conceptually developed reserve areas such as the ‘Cyber -Reserve’ to be served”. There could also be an incentive if reservists could achieve the rank of general, as in the USA.
General conscription was suspended in Germany in 2011 after 55 years. In practice, this was tantamount to abolishing military and civilian service. The Russian attack on Ukraine has repeatedly sparked debate about whether a return to conscription is necessary. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius spoke out clearly against a return to conscription. However, Pistorius made it clear that he sees good arguments for general compulsory service to strengthen civil protection, the German armed forces and rescue services. At the same time, he said that young people must be heard on the issue. Scholz, on the other hand, rejected general service.
After Pistorius’ recent advances, the FDP immediately raised legal and political concerns about such an obligation to serve. Leading members of the party as well as members of the Liberal cabinet had already strictly rejected a return to conscription in the past few weeks.