Military service for Pistorius: "It's not feasible without mandatory service"
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is adamant about the reintroduction of conscription with elements of compulsory service. "It's not going to work without obligation," he told Zeit Online on Wednesday. However, he'll start by relying on volunteers for the draft process. For women, there's no obligation for now.
Eventually, legislation will be introduced that permits young people to be conscripted against their will. This will begin with all young men and women from a specific age group receiving a conscription questionnaire, where they'd provide information about their physical fitness, health, and interest in serving in the Bundeswehr.
Male recipients of the questionnaire would be required to submit it, and those who don't could face sanctions. Female recipients would initially have the option to complete the questionnaire voluntarily since conscription is only constitutionally established for men. Pistorius aims to change this but doesn't expect it to happen during the current legislative session.
In the initial phase, Pistorius wants to conscript around 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers. "I'm certain we can reach that number with volunteers," he said to Zeit Online. The number of conscripted soldiers should increase over time. "If not enough volunteers sign up, we'll have to conscript young people," he stated. The goal is to expand the troop's growth potential. The Bundeswehr desperately needs more conscripted soldiers to increase the number of reserves for potential defense scenarios.
Pistorius' statements contradict the claims in certain media that he had abandoned the idea of reintroducing conscription. These reports had surfaced after he participated in Monday's SPD leadership meetings. "I can't confirm that," said a Defense Ministry spokesperson on Wednesday. He cited the specific proposals Pistorius announced he would present soon, but they would take some time as "discussions are still ongoing," said the spokesperson.
The CDU/CSU is pushing for the reinstatement of conscription. Talks are also ongoing about systems where young people could pick between military service and work in areas such as social work, the environment, or development as part of their compulsory duty. The Bundeswehr is facing a severe personnel shortage, with many positions unfilled.
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Despite Pistorius' commitment to reintroducing conscription with mandatory elements, women currently remain exempt from this obligation. In a hypothetical scenario where mandatory conscription becomes law, even Pistorius acknowledges that none of the conscripted soldiers would be compelled if they are female. The Germany defense minister aims to change this constitutional restriction, but he does not anticipate achieving this during the current legislative session.
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