CSU leader - Söder calls for compulsory military service of at least seven months
CSU leader Markus Söder has spoken out in favor of a return to compulsory military service of at least seven months. "From today's perspective, the suspension was a mistake," he told Bild am Sonntag. "The argument at the time was that we no longer have a threat in Europe. That's different now. With a growing threat situation, the reintroduction of compulsory military service makes sense." The reintroduction would not happen overnight, he conceded. "We are talking about implementation over a period of five years at the earliest in order to adapt the necessary structures."
No more compulsory military service in Germany since 2011
Compulsory military service was suspended in July 2011 after 55 years by the then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU). In practice, this amounted to the abolition of military and civilian service, as all structures for the conscription and training of a large number of soldiers were also abolished.
Minister has various models under review
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius(SPD) is currently having models of compulsory service examined due to the changed security situation following the Russian attack on Ukraine. He had stated that he was also looking at the Swedish conscription model. "There, all young men and women are conscripted and only a selected number of them end up doing their basic military service. Whether something like this would also be conceivable for us is part of these considerations," he told Welt am Sonntag in mid-December.
Criticism came mainly from the FDP and the Greens, but SPD leader Saskia Esken also distanced herself from the proposal. The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, then called for an objective debate to be held in the new year on the models for general service in the Bundeswehr and civilian organizations.
Söder wants 100,000 drones for the Bundeswehr
Söder, who is also Bavarian Minister President, told "Bams": "We must make our country 100 percent capable of defense. Firstly, that means: full equipment, full ammunition depots, full training opportunities." The procurement system must be "revolutionized". A "drone army with 100,000 drones for our armed forces" is also necessary. A modern infrastructure with new barracks, new depot structures and new administrative units is also needed. "This is the only way to create a larger and stronger Bundeswehr as the threat situation grows."
Compulsory military service of at least seven months
On the subject of reintroducing compulsory military service, he said: "To ensure proper basic training, it should last at least seven months." As an alternative, a general compulsory service could also be considered, but this would be difficult to enforce constitutionally. "Compulsory military service would apply to men. Compulsory social service for everyone," explained Söder. "Although, of course, the Bundeswehr is open to women."
The CSU leader said that a start should already be made on strengthening voluntary military service. "The current offer is not attractive enough. All those who voluntarily serve for a year should receive a bonus: for example, a reduction in the numerus clausus for university studies, the waiving of practical semesters or a shortening of the training period." The service should also be better paid. "Of course, all of this must also apply to basic military service."
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- Markus Söder, the leader of the CSU, believes that the suspension of compulsory military service in Germany in 2011 was a mistake and suggests a reintroduction of at least seven months of service due to the growing threat situation in Europe.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is currently evaluating various models of compulsory service in response to the changed security situation following the Russian attack on Ukraine.
- The Swedish conscription model, where all young men and women are conscripted and a select few serve, is one of the models Pistorius is considering.
- Critics of reintroducing compulsory military service include the FDP, the Greens, and even the SPD leader Saskia Esken.
- Söder, as Bavarian Minister President, emphasizes the need for a drone army with 100,000 drones for the German federal armed forces, along with modern infrastructure and better pay for volunteers.
- Söder suggests that the duration of compulsory military service should be at least seven months to ensure proper basic training.
- If compulsory military service is not feasible constitutionally, a general compulsory service could be considered, but it would be challenging to enforce.
- Söder believes that strengthening voluntary military service is essential and proposes incentives such as a reduction in university admission quotas, waived practical semesters, or shortened training periods for those who serve for a year.
Source: www.stern.de
