The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr and leading SPD politicians have spoken out clearly against the reintroduction of conscription. “Conscription, as we know it, is not necessary in the current situation,” said General Inspector Eberhard Zorn Funke media group. The Bundeswehr and its tasks have changed. “For combat in cyberspace, to name just one example, conscripts are absolutely unsuitable,” explained Zorn. “We need well-trained, and in some cases even highly specialized, staff to cover the entire range of tasks.”
Zorn pointed out that a decision of this magnitude could not be made quickly. “With a view to restructuring the Bundeswehr back into an armed force that is essentially based on mobilization from the people, there must first be a debate in society as a whole that goes well beyond the military department,” he said. “The preparations for this would then also need a lot of time, energy and the political and social consensus that this is necessary in terms of security policy – quite apart from the clarification of legal and constitutional issues.”
Leading SPD politicians also spoke out against conscription in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. “Reactivation of conscription does not contribute to reducing current threats and distracts from urgent problems,” said SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert spark-Newspapers. “The debate has been extensively conducted several times and it is decided.” According to information from the Funke newspapers, SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil also spoke out against such a debate.
Compulsory military service was suspended in 2011 after 55 years under the then Minister of Defense Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU), which in practice was tantamount to abolishing military and civilian service. The Russian attack on Ukraine has sparked a new debate about introducing compulsory military service in Germany.