Increase in the military
To combat the shortage of personnel in the Bundeswehr: Pistorius is examining the Swedish conscription model
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visits a military training area (archive photo)
© Kay Nietfeld / DPA
Conscription was suspended in Germany over ten years ago. A mistake, as Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says. He’s now looking for ways to undo that.
Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011 after 55 years. Shortly after taking office, Pistorius described this as a mistake, but one that could not be corrected in the blink of an eye.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) rejected a debate about a return to compulsory military service in February. Now Pistorius said: “There were reasons at the time to suspend compulsory military service. But in retrospect it was a mistake.” Reintroducing it now would be structurally, constitutionally and politically difficult. That’s why he’s looking at other models.
FDP against reintroduction of compulsory military service
The coalition agreement between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP states: “The Bundeswehr must be demographically stable and balanced in the long term with regard to the age structure.” When asked how this would be achieved, Pistorius said: “We set up a personnel task force in August. I have now seen the first extract of the work, which involves 65 very specific suggestions for recruitment, recruitment, training and entry requirements.” Implementation will start at the beginning of the year, said the minister.
The minister received objections from the coalition partner FDP. The defense policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Alexander Müller, warned on Saturday that the reintroduction of compulsory military service would be an “enormous encroachment on civil liberties that is disproportionate to the threat to Germany.” The political majority is missing for a necessary change to the Basic Law. “It will not be possible to force the most athletic and fittest young people into the troops and to allow everyone else their professional freedom. The Bundeswehr needs motivated and well-paid men and women who do their service voluntarily and out of inner conviction,” emphasized Müller. It is not the state’s job to intervene in the freedom of young people to work through “coercive measures” in order to plug gaps.
On the other hand, Union faction deputy Johann Wadephul (CDU) was open to discussing different models. He told the “Rheinische Post” (online): “The CDU is in favor of a general compulsory service, from which the Bundeswehr would benefit significantly. In principle, we are also willing to talk about other models and paths.” Pistorius must finally make concrete decisions to solve the personnel problems. “Anyone who calls for a Bundeswehr capable of war must also take the necessary steps to achieve this,” warned Wadephul.