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Bundeswehr soldiers (symbol image)
Photo: Andreas Gebert / picture alliance / dpa
Conscription has been suspended for around 12 years.
However, with the escalation surrounding the Russian attack on Ukraine comes a new debate about a possible return to military and community service.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has clearly rejected this idea.
The then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU) suspended conscription twelve years ago, the SPD politician told the "Bild".
“The Bundeswehr was converted into a professional army.
Therefore, the return to conscription makes no sense.” Linked to this is the question of conscription.
According to the "Bild", the chancellor said that today, unlike after his school days, he would no longer refuse military service.
"As a member of the Bundestag, I sent the Bundeswehr on many missions - so it would be illogical if I were still critical of military service today."
Conscription was suspended in 2011 after 55 years, which in practice amounted to the abolition of military and community service.
The Russian attack on Ukraine repeatedly fueled debate about reintroduction.
The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Eberhard Zorn, recently rejected the reintroduction of conscription according to the old model, but was open to a new type of compulsory service.
Pistorius starts debate – reservist association becomes clear
At the end of January, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) described the suspension of conscription by the black-yellow federal government as a mistake - and thus started a new debate on compulsory service with weapons.
During a visit to the Bundeswehr in Augustdorf, however, he said only days later: "Conscription would not help us at all in the next two or three years." Pistorius had traveled to Augustdorf in Westphalia to see the Leopard tanks for himself do that the federal government has promised Ukraine.
In the meantime, the reservists' association of the Bundeswehr considers a reintroduction to be unavoidable.
"We are of the opinion that Germany cannot be defended without conscription, in whatever form," said the president of the reservists' association, Patrick Sensburg, to the newspapers of the Bayern media group about two weeks ago.
jok/dpa
