Military protection. - The union ponders the military action plan with disappointment.
János Wadephul, the deputy chair of the union fraction, has labeled Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' (SPD) proposal for a new military service as a squandered political opportunity. Wadephul claimed during an interview with the German Press Agency in Berlin that Pistorius would be failing to uphold his earlier promises.
He criticized the decision not to commit fully towards including women in the general military service obligation, describing it as a lukewarm proposition that doesn't address the human resource problems of the Bundeswehr.
The cooperation between the traffic light government and the CDU/CSU makes it unreasonable for Pistorius to claim that more time is needed or that there's still no consensus to change the constitution. They have already amended the constitution to enable the Bundeswehr's special fund. Furthermore, discussions are currently happening regarding how to jointly alter the Wehrverfassung or Article 12a of the Basic Law to safeguard the Federal Constitutional Court for the long term. Wadephul finds it baffling that an agreement on altering these articles, which pertain to men's military service, would be impossible. He claims that Pistorius appears fearful of his own party and seems to have given in. According to him, the CDU is still open for talks about such discussions.
On Wednesday, Pistorius unveiled his concept, which aims to quickly reinforce the Bundeswehr when required. Starting in 2025, they wish to enlist an additional 5,000 conscripts annually from the pool of 400,000 applicants, with the possibility of more later on. The new model will consist of a six-month mandatory military service with the option for an additional up to 17 months of voluntary service. A compulsory registration process is also being introduced, where young men must express their willingness and capability for military service, and women can similarly participate.
Pistorius defended his course of action. In the ARD "Tagesthemen" and the ZDF "heute journal" on Wednesday, he contended that a constitutional amendment is needed for a general military service commitment and had to be accomplished prior to the 2025 federal election. "We need to start now. We can't wait to discuss a general service obligation or the obvious question of military service for women," said Pistorius in the ARD. Both suggestions involve constitutional amendments. He acknowledged that he considered these discussions to be necessary.
In response to demands for more substantial actions, the minister said that those calling for further measures are often those responsible for the shortages in training facilities and barracks. He lamented in the ARD that the conscription system is "completely broken," with no district military service boards, conscription structures, or training capacity.
Former Defense Commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels, now the president of the Security Policy Society, commented on the Pistorius plan, stating, "The identified issues are major, and the proposed solution is small." He argued that without this reinforcement, the lack of personnel would continue to undermine German defense contributions. "A revival of conscription, in a revised form, should first significantly enhance the active troop and secondly expand the reserve," said the Social Democrat Bartels.
Svenja Appuhn, the co-chair of the Green Youth, voiced her concerns to the "Rheinische Post" (Thursday), warning that young people should not be burdened by a struggling personnel policy in the Bundeswehr. "We expect a clear commitment from Boris Pistorius that voluntary service in the military will always be an option," said Appuhn. She reiterated her stance in an article for the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND/Thursday), adding, "My generation is already challenged enough." She also called for conscripted service personnel to be treated equivalent to their voluntary counterparts.
