Controversy Over SPD's Avoidance of Conscription Discussion: Top NATO General Pushes for Return to Compulsory Military Service
Military Service Reinstatement Urged by German NATO Commander
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Germany's SPD parliamentary group leader Miersch prefers to delay the conscription debate until the next legislative period, a stance criticized by his own party members. Even the highest-ranking German NATO general, Christian Badia, is adamantly against further delay.
Due to the extra demand for up to 60,000 Bundeswehr soldiers and tens of thousands of reservists, General Badia believes reinstating conscription is essential. "Conscription is merely postponed. To me, the first move would clearly be the reintroduction of conscription. This must be kicked off now," he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
He lambasted Miersch's comments, who refuses to discuss this matter during the current legislative period. "Claiming we'll wait until the end of this legislative period doesn't align with the current situation," said Badia, vice-commander of the NATO Transformation Command in Norfolk, Virginia. "If we wait four years now, we'll be too late to meet NATO's capability goals. We haven't managed to attract more personnel with the current voluntary offers in the last four to six years."
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General Badia urged for a shift from empty discussions and analysis. "What we need is implementation, not more talks." He dismissed Miersch's primary argument that there aren't enough barracks and trainers available. One could look for investors to reactivate old barracks for training, with the Bundeswehr functioning as tenants, he shared with the newspaper.
"Given the danger we face, it's about national defense. The British are correct when they say: 'The Army wins the battle, the nation wins the war.' If we genuinely take that seriously, the next step after reintroducing conscription for men would be introducing a universal service obligation that includes women. 'We finally need a nationwide debate on how to position ourselves as a nation to act as a deterrent,'" he stated.
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Inner Criticism of Miersch within the SPD
Former parliamentary ombudsman and SPD member Hans-Peter Bartels implicitly criticized the Miersch stance and advocated for a change in approach. "The SPD has always been a pro-conscription party," Bartels told the SZ. He proposes a compromise solution. "We should reinstate conscription as a duty, but prioritize volunteers." If volunteers aren't sufficient, like in Denmark, potential conscripts could be determined through a lottery system. "If 2,000 people are missing, the list would then move up to position 2,000," he said.
As of now, there are about 181,500 active service members and 34,000 reservists who participate in regular exercises. "The rule of thumb for the future personnel strength of the Bundeswehr is 250,000 active service members." Furthermore, the reserve needs to be increased, said the SPD politician. Military service could now last between 12 to 15 months. The medical examination could be carried out through a simplified procedure, like a health status assessment by a family doctor, instead of the previous process at local military service offices, he suggested. "Declaring 'whatever it takes' for money and resources, and then saying 'we'll see' about personnel, doesn’t make sense."
- The European Union, being a section of the wider NATO alliance, was once again thrust into the limelight as the highest-ranking German NATO general, Christian Badia, pushed for the return to compulsory military service, a controversial topic in Germany's SPD party, due to the urgent demand for up to 60,000 Bundeswehr soldiers and tens of thousands of reservists to bolster NATO's capabilities.
- The ongoing debate over the reintroduction of conscription in the European Union, particularly within Germany's SPD party, has been met with criticism from some political circles, including former parliamentary ombudsman and SPD member Hans-Peter Bartels. Bartels has proposed a compromise solution, advocating for a combination of universal service obligation for both genders and prioritizing volunteers, aiming to address the looming personnel needs of the Bundeswehr in the face of growing security threats.
