Applsh to the reintroduction of compulsory military service is becoming increasingly present in German politics. Is the recruitment of thousands of 18 years the solution to the defense of Germany?
At the beginning of March, the spokesman for the European Union defense policy, Florian Hahn, appealed to the reintroduction of the mandatory military service before the end of the year. “We cannot overcome our arms as the world around us becomes more insecure,” said the Bild newspaper.
After approval, in Bundestag, Backgroundl Defense and debt -funded infrastructure, attention now faces a mandatory military service. But how can a reintroduction be the solution to the defense problem of Germany?
Why was compulsory military service suspended?
The mandatory military service in Germany was Introduced in 1956 and continues to be enshrined in article 12-A of the Fundamental Law.
Even after the end of the cold war and reunification, Mandatory military service has not been abolished. However, since its introduction, it was possible to reject military service for reasons of consciousness. In this case, an application for conscience would have to be approved and would have to receive an alternative service in the interest of the common good, also known as Civil Service.
Until 2011, men 18 or more had to do military service in Bundeswehr (German armed forces), until then Defense Minister Karl -Theodor Zu Guttenberg (CSU) Mandatory service suspended.
At that time, the mandatory military service was suspended to reduce the size of Bundeswehr of approximately 255,000 soldiers to 185,000. The reason for the suspension invoked at that time was also relatively to a permanent change in the situation of the security and defense policy, which did not assume an important risk at that time. According to the latest Bundeswehr data of May 2024, its total force is less than 261,000 soldiers, including 180,215 military personnel and 80,761 civil officials.
However, the strength of German troops It must increase to about 203,000 soldiers by 2031. The reason for this increase is the Russian invasion against Ukraine and the consequent change in the security situation in Europe, according to a draft law of December last year.
To reach this number, it is necessary to resume mandatory military service. But while it may seem a simple answer, it is not. “There is a theoretical response and a practical response,” explains Dr. Frank Sauer, a political scientist at Bundeswehr University in Munich.
“The theoretical response is: yes, we can legally reintroduce mandatory military service. However, in practical terms, this would not have consequences Because there are no instruments to summon people“
This refers, among other things, to logistics, that pure and simply does not exist, and therefore cannot be used for recruits. If the mandatory service is reintroduced, Bundeswehr will not only have a lack of personnel to train the new recruits, but also the barracks and offices of the district. “All associated infrastructure ceases to exist,” adds Sauer.
Sauer does not see mandatory military service as a simple solution and advise against its use as an instrument to combat the problem of Bundeswehr personnel and achieve the objective of 203,000 soldiers.
“We need an answer to the question to know why we present a mandatory service that would be trained to use a weapon or, like me at that time, to work as a paramedic for the Red Cross.
A “discussion about the media and ends”
Before resuming mandatory military service, it is necessary to “discuss the media,” says Sauer. Currently, there is no consensus or an agreed debate about the objective of the mandatory military service in Germany. Even the possible partners of the coalition of the next government still disagree on how and if a mandatory military service should be done.
According to the information from Reduisnetzwerk Deutschland, a German communication agency, CDU/CSU is in favor of reintroducing the mandatory military service to obtain a “credible deterrent element.” The SPD, meanwhile, continues to defend the principle of voluntary service, but proposes the creation of conditions for military registration and control.
But beyond politics, it is necessary to reach a consensus in society about the objective of the mandatory military service. “Some think Bundeswehr will grow,” says Sauer.
ADVERTISING“Others believe that young people will finally learn to have discipline. Even others think that we will finally have civil protection and that blue light organizations will have more people to work. Others still think we will have more social cohesion.”
Mandatory military service cannot be introduced according to the motto “A size is for all” and, therefore, it must be conceived differently. The existence of a majority in Parliament for any change in mandatory military service is also questionable. “What we could present now would be a mandatory military service as it was in the past,” the politician told Euronews.
This mandatory service applies only to men. Therefore, a modernized concept of mandatory military service would have to consider the possibility of recruiting women.
Bavaria’s prime minister Markus Söder said in an interview with ZDF that it is not the main task “to reinforce a gender equality Bundeswehr, but above all a better and more effective Bundeswehr.” The president of the European Parliament, Söder, has once again emphasized the deterrent effect that Bundeswehr must have.
ADVERTISING“We want a Bundeswehr that is so strong that it is not worth attacking,” Söder said. However, even with mandatory military service, Bundeswehr will not be strengthened during the night.
For Sauer, Bundeswehr practically has no interest in getting involved with recruits. “The troops have a big personnel problem and there is a particular lack of instructors,” adds the political scientist.
“If they had to form recruits now, the professional part of the force would be even more overwhelmed. In almost no conversation I had, someone told me:” It is a great idea, we reintroduce military service. “
Defend your country with a weapon
According to politicians such as Söder and Hahn, the main objective of the mandatory military service was to reinforce Bundeswehr. According to a recent Forsa survey to RTL and NTV, only 17% of the Germans would take arms to defend their country in case of a military attack.
ADVERTISINGOn the other hand, a study by the French Defense Ministry concluded that 51% of young people between 18 and 25 would be willing to fight in Ukraine if necessary to defend France. The reintroduction of compulsory military service, which was abolished in 1997, also receives support in France for approximately 62%.
According to a Yougov survey, 58% of Germans are also in favor of reintroducing mandatory military service. However, according to Die Welt, Most young people between 18 and 29 years (61%) are against the reintroduction of mandatory military service.
It is not yet clear if the mandatory military service, enshrined in the fundamental law, must be reintroduced and how. There is only one consensus about the fact that it cannot be reintroduced during the night.
