Discussions on conscription are spreading in Germany. There have been claims that women should bear the same obligation to serve as men. Germany is seeking to rearm following the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
According to the weekly magazine Stern on the 9th (local time), Thomas Löwekamp, chair of the parliamentary defense committee, said, "Among the 700,000 people completing their studies, only 10,000 choose to serve in the federal military. To enjoy freedom and prosperity, one cannot rely solely on the obligations of others," and argued for the introduction of a general conscription system that applies to both men and women.
Mandatory service refers to the obligation to work for a certain period in various public institutions, including military service.
Henning Ote, special commissioner for defense in the Bundestag, also noted that the Ministry of National Defense's proposal to increase voluntary enlistment was insufficient and stated that he would propose the reintroduction of conscription to the parliament by the end of this year.
Germany has discussed reviving the conscription system, which was abolished in 2011, following the Ukraine war. The discussion quieted after the Ministry of National Defense presented a bill for voluntary enlistment after surveying the willingness and ability to serve in the military among 18-year-old males and females last year.
However, as the Ministry of National Defense recently stated that active military personnel should be increased by up to 33%, claims are emerging that conscription should be implemented immediately. Minister Boris Pistorius said on the 5th that up to 60,000 additional troops would be needed to meet NATO's requirements for weapons and personnel.
As of the end of last year, the German Federal Army had 181,150 personnel. This means that an additional 40,000 troops are needed beyond the Ministry of National Defense's original target of 203,000.
Reuters reported that NATO plans to demand that Germany increase its troop strength by 40,000 personnel from seven brigades next month.
Minister Pistorius had previously stated that rapid troop increases through conscription were realistically impossible due to a lack of barracks and training facilities. However, after the new government took office last month, he changed his stance, saying, 'I expect facilities to increase faster than anticipated,' and that they might conscript if there is a lack of troops.
The call for the reintroduction of conscription has mainly come from the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that he would establish the German military as the strongest in Europe, emphasizing security independence from the United States. Authorities are also claiming that they should consider Russia effectively as an enemy and prepare for war in line with the new government's security drive.
The chief inspector of the Federal Armed Forces, General Carsten Breuer, said in a recent media interview that Russia sees the Ukraine war as an extension of a larger conflict with NATO and could invade NATO member states within four years. He added, 'There is no guarantee it won't be before 2029. Therefore, we should be ready to fight tonight.'
Anette Lennikemden, head of procurement at the Federal Armed Forces, also stated, 'We have only three years. All preparations needed for a defense posture must be completed by 2028,' and announced plans to submit 100 weapons procurement proposals to the parliament by the end of this year.
Ralph Tislert, the administrator of the Citizen Protection and Disaster Relief Agency under the Ministry of the Interior, said, 'The belief that war is not a scenario we need to prepare for has been prevalent for a long time. Now, the risk of large-scale invasion warfare is pressing us in Europe.' He stated that the evacuation capacity of shelters in subway stations, public underground spaces, and parking lots should be increased from the current 480,000 to 1 million, and that the number of alarm sirens, currently at 40,000, should be doubled, announcing that a concrete plan would be released this summer.