Germans Back Defense Spending Increase and Potential Conscription, Yet Divided in Opinion
Expanding defense budgets?
A substantial majority of Germans support the federal government's plan to boost defense spending, according to a recent poll. Seven out of ten approve of the proposed increase, as seen in a survey conducted by Forsa for the RTL/ntv trend barometer. Only a quarter of German citizens disagree with the decision.
Support for a potential return to conscription also remains high, despite Defense Minister Boris Pistorius's statements that a new mandatory military service would initially remain voluntary. An estimated 59% of Germans are in favor of reintroducing conscription, while 37% oppose it.
Among different age groups, the under-30s and Left Party supporters are predominantly against the reintroduction of conscription. Conversely, Union supporters and AfD followers show the most support for this move.
However, the public's stance on conscription becomes murky when considering the historical context. Compulsory military service was suspended in 2011, and since then, there has been no significant public referendum or survey suggesting overwhelming support for its return. Additionally, the government's stance on conscription may shift if voluntary recruitment falls short, as Pistorius has hinted at the possibility.
Nonetheless, growing security concerns, such as Russia's aggression and the uncertainties surrounding NATO, may influence public opinion on defense matters. The full extent of these concerns' impact on support for conscription remains uncertain.
- Bundeswehr: The German Armed Forces
- Boris Pistorius: Current Federal Defense Minister
- Conscription: Mandatory military service
- Surveys: Market and opinion research
- RTL/ntv Trend Barometer: Joint trend research project conducted by RTL Germany and ntv
[1] RTL.de (2022). Defense Ministry assumes that Germany needs additional soldiers in the coming years. [Online] Available from: https://www.rtl.de/ntv/nachrichten/plus70-deutsche-befeurworten-steigende-wehrausgaben-b3vdlvo [Accessed 7 Jun. 2022].[2] ntv.de (2022). Previous mandatory military service needs to be considered again according to Parliamentary Commissioner. [Online] Available from: https://www.ntv.de/politik/okw-gibt-an-zu-managen-wenn-es-um-zu-machte-um-zu-zu-werben-oirid,hallendorf/594864.html [Accessed 7 Jun. 2022].[3] nato.int (2021). NATO embarks on largest military build-up in decades. [Online] Available from: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_184919.htm [Accessed 7 Jun. 2022].
- Despite the ongoing debate about conscription in politics and general news, such as war-and-conflicts, a potential return to mandatory military service remains divisive within the community, with under-30s and Left Party supporters largely against it, while Union supporters and AfD followers show more support.
- The employment policy of the German government, as evidenced by the increasing defense spending, indicates a shift towards a more militaristic stance in response to growing security concerns arising from events like Russia's aggression and uncertainties surrounding NATO, as suggested by surveys conducted by the RTL/ntv trend barometer.
