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Defense Commissioner Eva Högl (SPD) in the Bundestag
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
In the view of the Federal Armed Forces Commissioner, reservists in the Bundeswehr should be checked for security by the Military Counter-Intelligence Service before they are called in to serve.
This is what Eva Högl told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung".
The background are right-wing extremism cases, including among reservists, that have become known in recent months.
"So far too little has been done," said the SPD politician.
While all applicants who want to join the armed forces have automatically passed a security check since 2017, there have not yet been any seamless checks for reservists.
In addition, the responsibilities of reservists are not clear enough between the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD), said Högl.
She spoke out in favor of entrusting the MAD with the controls.
Reservists should relieve active soldiers wherever necessary - even when deployed abroad or in the office of the Minister of Defense.
According to the report, the Bundeswehr uses between 16,000 and 18,000 reservists every year.
Accordingly, only those who move to posts that are safety-relevant are checked.
"That would certainly be good for the troops"
Armed Forces Commissioner Eva Högl has 30 percent women
Högl also wants to significantly increase the number of women soldiers in the Bundeswehr.
"A proportion of 30 percent women in the Bundeswehr, that would certainly do the troops good," said Högl in the interview.
The soldiers should also assume greater responsibility in leadership positions.
20 years after the European Court of Justice ruled that women must also be permitted to use weapons, there is still "room for improvement," said Högl, given that women currently make up around twelve percent.
She also criticized the way in which women were treated in the Bundeswehr who were "not yet equally respected everywhere".
This becomes clear, among other things, in cases of sexual assault.
According to the troops' specifications, women are considered to be underrepresented in the Bundeswehr if their share, with the exception of the medical service, is less than 15 percent, the newspaper report said.
At present, women soldiers made up only about eight percent of these careers.
In the medical service, which was open to women before 2000, the target is 50 percent.
The proportion there is now at 45 percent.
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kfr / dpa / AFP