Germany plans to reinstate compulsory military conscription
Illustrative photo (Photo: Getty Images)
In Germany, mandatory military conscription is proposed to be reinstated. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has instructed to develop a model of military service by April 1, aimed at enhancing the country's resilience, reports Der Spiegel.
According to the material, the minister plans to reintroduce military service by autumn 2025, coinciding with the federal elections. The initiative aims to make a substantial, threat-adapted contribution to national resilience.
Pistorius intends to decide on mandatory military service during this legislative period. Additionally, during a trip to the Scandinavian countries on March 5, the German Defense Minister plans to learn more about the military duty model in Sweden.
Mandatory military service was reintroduced in Sweden in 2017 but in a different form than before in Germany (in 2011, Germany suspended compulsory military conscription and transitioned to professional armed forces).
According to the information, in recent years, the Swedish government has been able to recruit enough volunteers for the Armed Forces. However, the exact implementation of this model in Germany is unlikely. In Sweden, about ten percent of students are called up to the army. For Germany, this would mean that the Bundeswehr would have to train 40,000 military personnel annually. The military lacks barracks and instructors for this purpose.
Another problem associated with the reinstatement of mandatory military service is the issue of fairness. In Germany, during compulsory military service, the Constitutional Court ruled that "as many conscripts as possible" should be called up.
