""I am skeptical," Chancellor Friedrich Merz has now said with regard to the new model of voluntary military service, which his government had agreed upon in August. It is to be debated and approved by the Lower House of Parliament, the Bundestag and to take effect next year. The aim is to enable the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, to recruit the additional personnel they need."
""I suspect it will not remain voluntary," the chancellor said on Sunday evening (5.10.2025) in an interview on public broadcaster ARD. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video These remarks have fueled the debate about a return to compulsory military service, but they were also seen as a snub to Merz's coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), whose Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is responsible for the draft bill."
"In Germany, conscription is enshrined in the constitution, but it was suspended in 2011. It could be reinstated, but only in its previous form, which allowed only for men to be drafted, while military service remains voluntary for women. So the new questionnaire will be mandatory for men only. Doubts have been raised by lawmakers from Merz' conservative bloc of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parties saying a voluntary model can not be the solution."
Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed skepticism about a planned new model of voluntary military service that the government agreed in August. The model will be debated and approved by the Bundestag and is due to take effect next year. The aim is to allow the Bundeswehr to recruit additional personnel. The draft bill offers incentives for young recruits and does not include a return to compulsory service. Conscription remains enshrined in the constitution but was suspended in 2011 and could only be reinstated in its former, male-only form. The new questionnaire will be mandatory for men only. The remarks intensified debate and prompted postponement of the parliamentary debate.
Read at www.dw.com
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