Germany’s military rearmament, in addition to a significant outlay, also implies solving a pressing problem: the deficit of soldiers in the army. For this reason, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has been analyzing possible models of compulsory military service for some time. Now, more and more voices, both from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the conservative CDU/CSU, are preparing the ground for what already seems a probable reactivation of the military.
Pistorius wants to correct the fact that Germany abandoned mandatory military service in 2011 and during his visit to the United States this week he recalled that “times have changed.” In his opinion, suspending it years ago was “a mistake.” “I am convinced that Germany needs a form of conscription,” he declared during a speech at Johns Hopkins University. For the social democratic politician, this is necessary to “guarantee military stability” at a time when the war in Ukraine threatens the security of Europe.
The German army, with its 180,000 soldiers, has become too small. It is a reality that the Government has been warning about for some time. The recent restructuring of the army to make it “war-ready” also means increasing troops. The Executive has calculated a target figure of at least 203,000 soldiers to guarantee full defensive availability. Added to this is the fact that 20,000 new soldiers are needed a year just to compensate for those leaving the service. The plans put in place in the past to reach the expected 203,000 soldiers were unsuccessful and, furthermore, there are not enough reservists for emergencies.
With these figures, the Minister of Defense undertook a tour of various countries to analyze on the ground different types of military service, such as, for example, the one that exists in Sweden. There, all men and women have to fill out a questionnaire upon turning 18, which includes information about their physical fitness, and declare whether they would be willing to do voluntary military service. The most suitable people are then contacted and asked to participate in a recruitment, since only a certain percentage can be trained each year. However, if there are not enough volunteers, there may also be mandatory recruitment. This model is the one that sounds the loudest in Germany.
Pistorius’ option is expected to be announced soon. His spokesperson stressed this Wednesday that the minister will present the proposal this quarter, that is, in June at the latest. It will then be debated in the German Executive – headed by the Social Democrats, with Greens and Liberals – and later in Parliament. “It is important that we have an army that is effective and can fulfill its tasks. How exactly this can be guaranteed now and in the future will be discussed in the coming weeks and months,” explained Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit. The obligation could then apply to around 600,000 Germans who come of age each year.
For now, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted this week at its federal congress in favor of gradually introducing a year of compulsory service for everyone, whether in the German army, in social work or, for example, in the fight against disasters or with the paramedics. The conservatives’ proposal is for a group of army experts to determine how many troops are needed each year. Only those who were necessary at that time would be called up.
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The defense policy spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Parliament, Florian Hahn, called on the Defense Minister to quickly present plans for the gradual reintroduction of conscription. Although the conservatives’ proposal would be in line with Pistorius’s, talks are not yet underway, as the Defense Minister noted. The model that will be presented for debate “is similar.” “I would like to publicly explain more details when I have spoken to my coalition partners and parliamentary group partners,” Pistorius declared about something that, in his opinion, should happen “shortly.”
The cost of military service
In addition to the conservatives, the leader of the SPD, Lars Klingbeil, this week showed himself open to a debate on social or military service for young people. “Every young citizen should have to face the question of whether he can imagine himself serving the country,” he told the newspaper. Rheinische Post. “It could be in the army or in the social or cultural sector. “We should get back to that.” However, he rejected a return to the “old military service.”
The German Parliament suspended the military in 2011, after 55 years. However, its legal basis in the Constitution was maintained. Under current legislation, compulsory military service can be resumed in the event of increased tensions and the need to defend oneself. However, reactivating it entails a cost that must be included in the budget item in a year in which the weakness of the German economy does not leave much room for maneuver.
With the so-called special fund for the army of 100 billion euros almost on its last legs, Pistorius is already calling for a significant increase in the regular defense budget for next year. To have the money necessary for his plans, he wants spending on defense and civil protection to be excluded from the debt brake established in the Constitution. In his view, without security, a balanced national budget is worth little, he said this week.
The response from the Minister of Finance, the liberal Christian Lindner, did not take long to arrive. “Unfortunately, Pistorius only points out the option of creating security through debt. More and more permanent interest charges are imposed on citizens,” said the leader of the Liberal Party (FDP). “The best way is to reallocate money in our big state budget and get the economy going,” he added of a budget debate that will again strain the coalition government.
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