German Armed Forces - Lindner and Buschmann against Pistorius' military service model
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) proposed model for a new type of military service is strictly rejected by the coalition partner FDP. Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann welcome in a letter to the Defense Minister the initiative of the latter to increase military readiness. However, they consider a general military or service duty unrealistic for financial, economic, and legal reasons. Instead, the two FDP politicians advocate for an increase in the attractiveness of the soldier profession and a stronger role for reservists.
According to initial reports in "Welt" and the German Press Agency in Berlin, the letter from Lindner and Buschmann to Pistorius was about this.
FDP sees no social acceptance
"We are united by the goal of making the Bundeswehr one of the most modern and powerful armies," it says in the letter. "We can only achieve this goal with the corresponding social acceptance. This, in our opinion, excludes the reintroduction of a general military or service duty."
High costs for new military service
The two FDP ministers point out that structures would have to be set up for a new general military or service duty, which would be a "lengthy and extremely costly process."
Additionally, a new military or service duty could lead to significant economic losses, as the Ifo Institute determined in a short expert opinion for the Federal Finance Ministry. "The annual conscription of a quarter of a cohort in the context of a military or service duty, that is, of about 195,000 people, according to the Ifo Institute's calculations, would lead to a decrease in national income by 17.1 billion Euros."
Legal concerns
Lindner and Buschmann consider it a "forward-looking measure" to conduct a census of the people in Germany who could be called up for military service in case of need. "However, a compulsory registration of small parts of a year group to undergo mustering or even serve in the military would raise unavoidable questions of military justice," they write. This would represent a deep intrusion into the freedom and personal life planning of the affected individuals.
To address the personnel problems of the Bundeswehr, the two FDP politicians instead advocate for making the armed forces a "more attractive employer." In addition, the role of reservist women and reservists should be strengthened. These individuals should be more integrated into the structures of the Bundeswehr, as they are the practitioners and professionals who urgently need the troops.
Proposal from Pistorius
Pistorius' new model includes a compulsory military service of six months with an option for an additional voluntary military service of up to an additional 17 months. In addition, a mandatory registration is introduced, in which young men must declare their readiness and ability for military service - young women can do this voluntarily. From the pool of 400,000 candidates of a year group, 5,000 additional conscripts should be recruited annually from 2025.
- The Defense Minister of Germany, Boris Pistorius from the SPD, proposed a new model for military service, but it was rejected by their coalition partner, the FDP.
- The German Press Agency in Berlin reported on a letter from FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, expressing support for increasing military readiness but rejecting a general military service.
- According to the FDP, a new military service would have high costs and significant economic losses, as determined by the Ifo Institute.
- Legal concerns were also raised by Lindner and Buschmann, who argued that compulsory registration for military service would infringe on individual freedoms and personal life planning.
- Instead of a new military service, the FDP politicians advocated for making the German Armed Forces a more attractive employer and strengthening the role of reservist women and reservists in the Bundeswehr.
- Defense Minister Pistorius' proposal included a compulsory six-month military service with an optional additional voluntary service, as well as mandatory registration for young men to declare their readiness for military service.
