The Bundeswehr will need several thousand new soldiers by 2031. Not only the SPD – but you in particular – are arguing about how to get there.
Berlin – “Looking back” explained Boris Pistorius the Suspension of compulsory military service for a “mistake”. The Minister of Defense is examining one Conscription according to the Swedish model. But the Conscription debate divides his SPD. Now SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is also opposing him.
He “welcomes” Pistorius’ efforts “to armed forces “to make you more attractive as an employer and to attract young talent.” But he personally considers “compulsory service” to be “not contemporary,” Klingbeil told the Düsseldorfer Rhenish Post (January 11 edition).
“What I think is right is that every young person is confronted at some point in their life with the question of whether he or she wants to do a service for our country,” the SPD party leader continued. “No matter whether in the Bundeswehr or in the social sector. To achieve this, we need to strengthen voluntary services.”
Pistorius wants a Swedish model for conscription in the Bundeswehr
Shortly before Christmas 2023, Defense Minister Pistorius suggested conscription based on the “Swedish model”. All young women and men are mustered there, but only some of them end up doing basic military service. Other politicians also appeared open to reintroducing compulsory military service.
A selection of people from German politics who have so far spoken out in principle for or against compulsory military service:
- Per: Boris Pistorius (SDP), Markus Söder (CSU), Johann Wadephul (CDU), Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP)
- Cons: Olaf Scholz (SPD), Lars Klingbeil (SDP), Kevin Kühnert (SDP), Christian Lindner (FDP), Marco Buschmann (FDP), Christian Dürr (FDP), Omid Nouripour (Greens)
Doubts about suspension of compulsory military service due to NATO goals
In a survey published at the beginning of January, a good half of those surveyed were in favor of reintroducing compulsory military service: 52 percent said this to the opinion research institute Insa on behalf of the magazine Focus for necessary. 32 percent were against it, eight percent said it “didn’t matter.” Agreement increased with the age of the respondents. Among 18 to 29 year olds, only 30 percent were in favor of reintroducing compulsory military service. Among 60 to 69 year olds it was 65 percent.
Compulsory military service was suspended in July 2011 after 55 years under the then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU), which in practice amounted to an abolition of military and civilian service. Recently, more and more doubts have arisen as to whether the Bundeswehr can achieve its stated goal of 203,000 men and women in uniform by 2031.
For example, such doubts come from the CDU defense politicians Kerstin Vieregge and Serap Güler Southgerman newspaper citing a concept paper that the two now reported. In recent years, the Bundeswehr's “military personnel” have developed “dramatically negatively,” it says. (frs with AFP)
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