Interim military balance sheet should embody the epitome of military service, according to the newly appointed military commissioner.
In the upcoming parliamentary seat for the army's ombudsman, CDU politician Henning Otte has expressed a desire for an assessment of the proposed voluntary military service model post-implementation. If numbers don't meet expectations, Otte suggests making service mandatory, stating bluntly to ARD capital studio on Tuesday, "If that's not enough, it should be mandatory."
The military service model, set to kick off early next year, will invite young adults to participate in troop-related tasks, with men required and women optional. The government aims to attract an annual 5,000 volunteers for the Bundeswehr via this method.
As the future ombudsman, Otte emphasizes the importance of preventing military overextension, insisting the Bundeswehr requires adequate resources to accomplish its mission - alliance and territorial defense. He's blunt about the current situation, stating, "The Bundeswehr needs more of everything. A lot has been done, but there are still deficits that need to be addressed." He highlights areas of concern, such as military skills, infrastructure, and personnel, including the use of modern drones.
Interestingly, official data on the German military service model does not currently mention Henning Otte. However, according to the recently agreed-upon plans by the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), the government has opted for an "initial" voluntary service model, appealing to recruits to serve the Bundeswehr since the cessation of conscription in 2011[1]. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has hinted that this approach may be temporary, and mandatory conscription could be reintroduced if volunteer numbers fail to meet security and operational needs[1]. When recruitment falls short, the government is prepared to consider mandatory service for home safety and alliance defense[1]. At present, there is no reference to Henning Otte's views or comments in the available sources. The above summary reflects the official statements from German government officials as reported in recent news.
- CDU politician Henning Otte, who expressed a desire to assess the proposed voluntary military service model post-implementation, suggests making the service mandatory if the number of volunteers does not meet expectations, aligning with the politics of potential reintroduction of compulsory conscription discussed in policy-and-legislation.
- The ongoing discussions about the future of military service in Germany, having the CDU and SPD agreeing on an initial voluntary service model, has generated general-news interest, with CDU politician Henning Otte being notably vocal about the need for addressing deficits in military skills, infrastructure, and personnel, and the potential for mandatory conscription if necessary.
