Ampel politicians open to women's military service
The Inspector General of the Federal Armed Forces is pushing for the consideration of women for military service with his requirement, but Defense experts make it clear that this does not mean the reinstatement of conscription has been decided.
On the way to a combat-ready Federal Armed Forces, women could be called up for military service in the future. The chairman of the Defense Committee in the German Parliament, Marcus Faber, reacted openly to corresponding considerations by General Inspector Carsten Breuer. The latter had demanded changing the Constitution to include women in the draft. "When it comes to the equal treatment of men and women, I'm with the Inspector," said the FDP politician to the Redaction Network Germany (RND).
"All measures we take here, such as the mandatory completion of questionnaires, must apply to all genders. In the 21st century, we should no longer tolerate gender discrimination in military service," Faber stressed, but added: "The Defense Minister has recently spoken of a selective service, not of conscription. The reinstatement of conscription for either gender is currently not a political issue."
"Engage all genders in the draft"
The Green Party's defense spokesperson in the German Parliament, Sara Nanni, told RND: "A modern Federal Armed Forces needs people of all genders. In the Constitution, only men are mentioned when it comes to the draft. We need to figure out how to deal with that as a coalition. Personally, I'm open to considering a constitutional amendment to equally involve all genders in the draft." She added, however, that she remains skeptical about a mandatory military service, regardless of gender.
The SPD Defense expert Andreas Schwarz stated that, in the context of equal treatment, one would not be able to circumvent including women in the draft if it is reinstated.
General Inspector Breuer told RND: "We currently have a suspended conscription that targets the male population according to the Constitution. Equality should be established here." But this requires a political and societal discussion, according to Germany's highest-ranking soldier.
"The call for women to be included in the German Armed Forces' draft is a significant political discussion, aligning with the push for equal rights in all sectors, including Politics. However, it's important to note that the reinstatement of compulsory military service is not yet a decided matter for the German Armed Forces."
"As the Green Party's defense spokesperson in Parliament, Sara Nanni advocates for a modern Federal Armed Forces that engages all genders, recognizing the need for constitutional amendments to equally involve women in compulsory military service, should it be reinstated, while expressing skepticism about the return of conscription itself."
