Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is open to the reintroduction of conscription.
The FDP also signaled a willingness to talk.
Berlin - Once again, a return to conscription is under discussion in Germany.
Last but not least, the Ukraine war has fueled the debates that have taken place at more or less regular intervals in recent years.
The new Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently described the suspension of compulsory military service as the wrong decision.
He told the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
: "If you ask me as a civilian, as a citizen, as a politician, I would say it was a mistake to suspend conscription."
But how likely is it that the traffic light will reintroduce conscription?
Pistorius emphasized to the
SZ
: "Our parliamentary army belongs in the middle of society.
Conscripts used to sit at every second kitchen table.
As a result, there was always a connection to civil society.” The topic should be discussed openly, “since we are currently perceiving an alienation between parts of society and the state,” said the new defense minister.
Will conscription be reintroduced in Germany?
Traffic light government is open
Pistorius is not the only one, the FDP is also opening up to the topic.
Representing the party, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
on Tuesday that she too does not rule out the reintroduction of conscription.
“In principle, the end of compulsory military service only applies in peacetime.
In the event of tension or defense, it can be activated again," said the chair of the Defense Committee.
A year ago she was strictly against it.
Meanwhile, Strack-Zimmermann finds: "A simple yes or no is not enough".
In view of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the changed security situation for the whole of Europe, the suspension of compulsory military service can be regretted, she said.
Since the Russian army invaded Ukraine, security and defense policy has again become an important issue in Germany.
According to experts, the Bundeswehr is in a desolate state.
Does the traffic light want conscription in Germany?
Reintroduction anchored in the Basic Law
In principle, the reintroduction of conscription is legally possible.
Article 12a of the Basic Law states that men from the age of 18 can be obliged to serve in the armed forces, in the Federal Border Police or in a civil protection association.
However, the old conscription failed because of the so-called military justice, the Bundeswehr does not need as many people as it would conscript.
Another problem: Up to now, conscription has only applied to men and can hardly be reconciled with today's world.
Strack-Zimmermann agrees that conscription must also apply to women and be extended to twelve months.
The catch: The whole thing would not only take a lot of time, "but also double-digit billions to get the system going again," said the FDP politician.
Video: Strack-Zimmermann does not rule out renewed military service
The Bundeswehr itself is obviously critical of the reintroduction of conscription.
Shortly after the start of the Ukraine war, Inspector General Eberhard Zorn spoke out against reintroduction.
The Bundeswehr needs “well-trained, in some cases even highly specialized, personnel”.
Conscripts could not do that, Zorn said at the time to the Funke media group.
The structures of the Bundeswehr are no longer designed for military service, and the necessary district military replacement offices for recruitment and mustering have been dissolved.
In the last year of compulsory military service, the Bundeswehr was still able to train 30,000 conscripts a year, but the number is currently estimated at just 10,000 a year, writes
Der Spiegel
.
In view of the approximately 700,000 men and women who reach the age of 18 every year, reintroducing conscription seems to remain a utopian project.
At least according to the current status. (fmü)
