Party conference
At the request of the Junge Union: CDU wants to withdraw the suspension of compulsory military service
CDU federal manager Christoph Hoppe together with party leader Friedrich Merz (M) and deputy general secretary Christina Stumpp
© Imago Images
If the conservatives have their way, young Germans will have to be trained to use weapons again in the future. The CDU wants to reintroduce conscription, which was suspended in 2011 – gradually.
Surprising decision at the CDU party conference: At the request of the Junge Union (JU), the delegates in Berlin on Tuesday spoke out in favor of a return to compulsory military service. “We will gradually withdraw the suspension of compulsory military service and convert compulsory military service into a compulsory year of service,” it says in a resolution.
Compulsory company year remains the core concern
The intermediate stage should be a so-called contingent military duty. Depending on the needs of the Bundeswehr, only a portion of those drafted would be drafted. The overarching goal remains the mandatory year of service that has already been decided, which can be completed both in the Bundeswehr and in social institutions.
The decision was preceded by a lengthy discussion. The draft of the basic program initially said: “In order to secure the armed forces’ personnel and skills needs in the long term, there must be no prohibitions on thinking about the future, even after compulsory military service has been suspended.”
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“We must no longer leave the defense of our democracy to the principle of hope,” said JU federal chairman Johannes Winkel. The contingent military service is a “short-term and realistic option” to address the Bundeswehr’s personnel problems. A committee of experts from the Bundeswehr should determine how high the personnel requirements are per year. Only those who would then be needed should be drafted.
The proposal received support from Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther, among others. The Bundeswehr not only needs a turnaround in terms of equipment, but also in terms of personnel. Because many positions are already vacant. Günther emphasized that such a contingent defense requirement would also be “a visible sign to Russia and others” that Germany is seriously prepared to defend itself.
Representatives of the application committee initially tried to prevent the JU initiative from being approved. They pointed out that current political issues should not be included in the policy program, which is designed to last at least a decade. Ultimately, however, they agreed to a compromise formulation that largely corresponded to the JU proposal.
Compulsory military service has been suspended since 2011
Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011 after 55 years under the then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU). In practice, this amounted to an abolition of military and community service. At the same time, virtually all of the necessary structures for compulsory military service were dissolved. However, the law also stipulates that conscription for men will be revived in the event of tension and defense.