Against the backdrop of the Ukraine crisis, a debate has flared up in Germany over the return of military service, reports Die Welt. Some politicians oppose the initiative, warning that it will cause huge damage to the German economy and society. Others insist that without this step it will be impossible to ensure the country’s defence.
Against the backdrop of the fighting in Ukraine, a debate has erupted in Germany over the return of compulsory military service, reports Die Welt. The leader of the Free Democratic Party and finance minister Christian Lindner has categorically rejected such a possibility. It is all “ghost talk”, he said, and called for concentration on the transformation of the Bundeswehr into a highly professional army.
The younger generation has already lost a lot because of the coronavirus pandemic, stressed Lindner. He also recalled the staff shortages in all sectors of the economy. According to him, if people were taken out of education and training for a whole year, the damage to the country would be immense. Head of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Struck-Zimmermann, agreed with him. However, the shortage of personnel is only one of the factors that will lead to extensive consequences for the economy and society, she stressed.
A year ago, Struck-Zimmermann was categorically against reintroducing compulsory military service, but now she did not rule out that possibility. In the event of a rapid rise in global tensions or a need to defend the country, the practice could be resumed, she said. “It would be hasty to answer this question with a simple yes or no,” she explained, adding that a return to military service would require serious effort.
Germany’s new defence minister, Boris Pistorius, believes it was a mistake. His opinion is shared by the Reserves Union. President of the organization Patrick Sensburg is convinced that without resumption of this practice it will be impossible to ensure the country’s defence in the event of war. 200,000 soldiers and 100,000 reservists will not be enough, he explained.
Deputy Chairman of the CDU/CSU faction Johann Wadeful said that his colleagues in the political union were ready to discuss what changes should be made to the constitution in order to return the military duty. According to him, there are so many threats now that the state needs the help of young women and men: “So once again we have to remember the old saying of John F. Kennedy: ‘Don’t ask what your country can do for you. Ask yourself what you can do for it.” Wadeful does not rule out the possibility that the conflict in Ukraine could widen to include NATO member states. Plus, help is needed to deal with pandemics, forest fires and floods. But he rejects a return to military service in its old format, because the decision would only affect men: “We have to look at the whole society, all the genders”.
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