No discussions on mandatory military service this period
In this current political climate, Matthias Miersch, leader of the SPD's parliamentary group, has made it clear that there will be no discussions about reintroducing conscription in this legislative period. He stated, "We are relying on voluntarism," and any negotiations about conscription will likely happen in the upcoming legislative period, not the present one.
Miersch believes the goal of 60,000 additional soldiers in the medium term is achievable. However, he notes that training capacities are currently insufficient to meet this demand. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had previously stated that up to 60,000 additional soldiers in the active force are necessary to meet the new NATO planning targets for enhanced defense capability.
The Burden on the Troops
The newly appointed parliamentary ombudsman for the armed forces, Henning Otte (CDU), warned about overburdening the troops. In an interview, Otte even suggested that there might need to be a mandatory military service once again. "As parliamentary ombudsman, I will put this on file for further consideration, and that will happen this year," he said.
The Bundeswehr Association chief, André Wüstner, also urged the black-red coalition to consider setting the course for a possible reintroduction of conscription. To achieve the increased NATO targets, Wüstner reasoned that the voluntary service must also become more appealing. He expressed uncertainty about the ability to attract up to 60,000 additional men and women to the active force solely through voluntarism.
Making Service in the Bundeswehr More Desirable
Miersch stated, "The key question is: How do we ensure that the service is desirable?" He explained that the lack of equipment alone was not the only factor preventing the service from being attractive. Miersch believes that with Boris Pistorius' new concept for a voluntary increase in the size of the force, we will soon observe how this strategy pans out.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:250607-930-640897/1
Insights:
- Recent discussions and indications suggest a high likelihood of negotiations regarding the reintroduction of conscription in the next legislative period, driven primarily by the need to meet the enhanced military targets set by NATO.
- While voluntary military service will be the primary recruitment strategy for the time being, defense officials acknowledge that compulsory military service might be reintroduced if recruitment goals are not met through voluntarism alone.
- The potential return of conscription is a strategic response to increased defense obligations and personnel shortfalls rather than an immediate policy change but is expected to be a major topic of negotiation in the near future.
Miersch, in considering the need for 60,000 additional soldiers, admits that training capacities are currently insufficient (Defense capacity). He also highlights the need to make service in the Bundeswehr more desirable (Bundeswehr desirability). In light of these challenges, the potential reintroduction of conscription, initially proposed for the upcoming legislative period, is being heavily debated due to the difficulty of attracting up to 60,000 volunteers (Future conscription discussions). This change in military policy-and-legislation is primarily driven by the need to meet increased NATO targets (NATO targets).
