Germany may return conscription to army: Details
Illustrative photo: conscription may be returned in Germany (Getty Images)
Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a leading contender to become Germany's next chancellor, has announced that he plans to bring back conscription, The Times reports.
His initiative envisages the gradual introduction of selective conscription for both young men and women to strengthen the country's defense capabilities.
In a speech at the Federal Academy for Security Policy in Berlin, Merz acknowledged that achieving this could not be accomplished overnight
He plans to have up to 30,000 conscripts trained annually in the armed forces. This will double the size of the active reserve, which, according to Merz, is currently insufficient to defend the country.
The German Armed Forces are currently facing an acute shortage of personnel. The number of professional soldiers remains 30,000 short of the target of 210,000.
According to generals, the country needs at least 60,000 additional reservists.
Merz recently announced his desire to visit Ukraine in the coming days.
Conscription in Germany
In 2011, conscription was suspended when the Bundeswehr switched to a contract model of service. However, due to growing threats in the region, its resumption has been discussed for several years.
Previously, conscription in Germany functioned as follows:
- all men between the ages of 18 and 27 were subject to it,
- conscripts could choose between military service and alternative civilian service (e.g., in medical institutions),
- the term of service was 9 to 12 months.
Earlier, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius instructed to develop a model of military service that would contribute to the country's resilience.
