Pistorius calls for nationwide military service: is military service coming back?

Pistorius calls for nationwide military service: is military service coming back?

In Münster-Handorf, at the start of his visit to the Homeland Security Regiment, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius addressed questions relating to military service and the planned military service reform. In the midst of discussions about the future structure of the Bundeswehr, he recommends comprehensive mustering of all young men in a year. “We need to know who can be drafted in case of defense,” said Pistorius, who expressed his confidence about an agreement in the coalition this week. This reports radiowaf.de.

The plans to strengthen the Bundeswehr include making voluntary military service more attractive. Similar to other countries, this approach could help expand troops. If this is not enough and too few volunteers are recruited, Pistorius plans to introduce compulsory elements. This possibility has led to heated discussions in the governing coalition tagesschau.de reported. There are arguments about the exact details, especially the idea of ​​drawing lots for those affected, which only further fueled the debate.

Current personnel situation in the Bundeswehr

There are currently around 182,000 soldiers active in the Bundeswehr. However, Pistorius' target envisages an increase to around 260,000 active forces and an additional 200,000 reservists. André Wüstner, chairman of the German Armed Forces Association, has already questioned efforts to improve defense capability and called for a “switching mechanism” in the military service law.

The military service debate is causing uncertainty, especially among young people. Quentin Gärtner, General Secretary of the Federal Student Conference, reported on the concerns of young people affected by these changes. The German Federal Youth Association has criticized the announced plans and is calling for older age groups to be included in compulsory military service, which will result in additional discussions in the coalition.

Outlook on the new military service law

The new military service law, which is due to come into force on January 1st, is initially based on voluntary action. However, mechanisms are being discussed within the coalition that should take effect if enough volunteers cannot be recruited. Boris Pistorius has clearly spoken out against the lottery process discussed in the coalition - a decision that could potentially have far-reaching consequences for the military structure, especially since the debate about compulsory military service and the future of the Bundeswehr is currently taking place in a sensitive political environment.