Is conscription coming back? Politicians from the SPD and the Union are open to a new regulation. Defense Minister Pistorius wants to present proposals soon.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil has shown himself open to a discussion about social or military services for young people. “Every young citizen should have to ask themselves whether they can imagine serving the country,” said Klingbeil Rhenish Post. “It could be in the Bundeswehr or in the social or cultural area. We should return to that.”
Many people in Germany have no contact with the Bundeswehr. “I am in favor of schools actively inviting soldiers to talk about opportunities in the Bundeswehr,” said Klingbeil. “This has nothing to do with glorifying war, but rather with a decision-making option for one’s personal future and information about the security situation.”
However, Klingbeil rejected a return to the “old conscription”.
Union signals Willingness to talk
The Union is open to reactivation. The CDU federal party conference had, among other things, advocated reinstating compulsory military service, which was suspended in 2011, in view of the threat from Russia. A quota of compulsory military service should be introduced until a mandatory year of service is implemented. The new CDU policy program states: “We will gradually withdraw the suspension of compulsory military service and convert compulsory military service into a mandatory year of service.”
The defense policy spokesman for the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Florian Hahn, called on Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) to quickly make reliable proposals for the gradual reintroduction of compulsory military service. The CSU politician told the dpa news agency that the Union was ready to talk based on the CDU party conference resolutions.
“Authority threat from the East”
The gradual reactivation of compulsory military service is the order of the day “in order to make our Bundeswehr capable of growing as part of Germany’s overall defense,” continued Hahn. It’s not about coercion or influencing young people. Rather, a credible, democratic deterrence and defense capability should be quickly built up against authoritarian threats from the East.
The CSU politician demanded that the necessary preparatory measures now have to be implemented. “This ranges from the return of military registration to the development of infrastructural capacities to the adjustment of the Bundeswehr’s training organization.” Once these conditions have been created, they will allow compulsory military service to be reactivated quickly and appropriately in order to increase the ability to defend oneself, but also the general willingness to fight, said Hahn.
Pistorius welcomed Offer to talk the Union
Federal Defense Minister Pistorius wants to bring a proposal on compulsory military service into the debate this quarter. On the sidelines of his visit to the USA, when asked whether he had already contacted the Union because his and their ideas were similar, the minister said: “I am pleased that the Union is on a similar path to the one I have been on so far have worked out.”
However, talks have not yet been held; he is in discussions with the Chancellery and the coalition partners. The model that he will put up for discussion “is similar, but I would only like to explain further details publicly after I have spoken to my coalition partners and the partners in the parliamentary groups,” Pistorius continued. That should “happen shortly.”
Due to the changed security situation after the Russian attack on Ukraine, Pistorius is having models of compulsory military service examined, including the Swedish model of compulsory military service. All young women and men are mustered there, but only some do basic military service. This is similar to the CDU concept.