Pistorius declares, "It won't function entirely without responsibility."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is holding firm on his belief that reintroducing certain elements of conscription is necessary. He recently told online portal Zeit Online, "It won't work without mandatory service." However, Pistorius plans to begin with voluntary enlistments. For women, there will be no mandatory service for the time being.
In the future, a law is being considering that would allow for compulsory service against one's will. In the initial phase, all individuals of a specific age group would receive a conscription questionnaire, where they would provide information on their fitness, health, and their interest in serving in the Bundeswehr.
Those addressed males would be required to return their completed questionnaires, with potential penalties for those who don't comply. Initially, this would be voluntary for women, as the draft is only established within the Basic Law for men. Pistorius aims to change this, but he doesn't anticipate this being possible during the current legislative period.
In the first phase, he intends to involve 5,000 to 10,000 conscripted service members. According to Pistorius, it's possible to reach this number through voluntary sign-ups. Over time, the number of conscripted service members should rise. "If not enough volunteers register, we'll have to conscript young people," he stated. The purpose is to maintain the expansion potential of the troops. The Bundeswehr desperately needs more conscripted service members to increase the number of reservists for a potential defense situation.
Pistorius' comments contradict reports that he has given up on the idea of reinstating conscription. These reports surfaced after his attendance at Monday's SPD leadership meetings, with media suggesting participants claimed he had changed his stance. "I can't confirm that in its current form," shared a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense on Wednesday. They pointed to Pistorius' upcoming detailed proposals, which he would share soon. Nevertheless, this will take some weeks, as "negotiations are still ongoing," the spokesperson explained.
The call for conscription is being led by the CDU/CSU. Discussions are also underway regarding models in which young people could choose between military service and service in areas such as social work, the environment, or development as part of a service requirement. The Bundeswehr is facing a serious personnel shortage, with many positions remaining vacant.
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