AThe idea of lumping Friedrich Merz, Bodo Ramelow and Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the same socio-political pot is something you have to come up with first. The same applies to Dietmar Bartsch, Bettina Stark-Watzinger and Eva Högl. And yet that is how it is, at least when it comes to the introduction of general compulsory service. The subject keeps popping up with amazing persistence. It’s booming right now, which has a lot to do with Merz, Steinmeier and Bartsch. The three have spoken out in favor of compulsory service these days. The second trio is against.
Merz may not be as conservative in socio-political terms as he is said to be, but there is no doubt that he was elected CDU chairman by a large majority at the beginning of the year to strengthen the conservative wing. At the beginning of the month, he triggered the latest of numerous waves of discussion about compulsory service, when he spoke out in favor of “general compulsory service with the option of, of course, also serving in the Bundeswehr”. The CDU wants to discuss the issue at its party conference in the fall, and there are indications that it will make a decision in favor of compulsory service.
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