“The Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democrats of Germany have agreed on a compromise regarding military service — from now on, mandatory medical examinations and the possibility of conscription in case of need are provided for young men.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Illustrative photo: Getty Images Source: “European truth” with reference to Tagesschau
Details: After long negotiations, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed on the structure of the new military service. Under the agreement, the coalition will continue to rely on voluntary service for the time being, but there will also be nationwide medical examinations and targets to increase the size of the Armed Forces.
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If the number of volunteers is too low, the Bundestag can decide on a so-called “demand-based” draft.
“We will involve more in the voluntary system. The mandatory way of increasing the number of soldiers must be enshrined in the law. If voluntary service ultimately turns out to be insufficient, mandatory service will also be necessary,” said the leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary faction, Jens Span.
The leader of the SPD parliamentary faction, Matthias Mirsch, said that the negotiations were not easy, but they were brought to a “successful conclusion”. He also emphasized the priority of voluntary service to meet the personnel needs of the Bundeswehr.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius praised the compromise.
“I am very satisfied. There were no objections,” he emphasized.
Therefore, starting next year, all 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire that will assess their motivation and suitability. Men will be obliged to answer him. At the same time, it is planned to introduce compulsory military service.
“When the law enters into force, mandatory military service will also begin for men born on or after January 1, 2008, and will be gradually extended to the entire age group as conscription potential builds,” the coalition document says.
Changes were also made to previous plans regarding the status of soldiers in the new military service.
“Voluntary military service as a special civil obligation will be preserved. The status of a temporary soldier (SAZ 1) will be introduced from the service period of 12 months or more,” the document states.
As noted, earlier it was planned that all new conscripts would immediately become temporary soldiers.
Also, the service will remain attractive due to higher salaries and additional training, such as obtaining a driver’s license or courses in information technology.
“Those who serve voluntarily will receive about 2.6 thousand euros gross per month. From the period of service of one year or more, a subsidy will be provided for obtaining driver’s licenses for cars or trucks,” the coalition document states.
Now the draft law must be adopted in early December and enter into force in 2026.
We will remind:
- At the beginning of October, it was written that Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz expects that it will be introduced in the country over time compulsory military service.
- Pistorius’ proposal was based on a voluntary prize and aims to attract more young people by making the service more attractive.
- However, deputies of the Merts block of the CDU/CSU criticized the draft law for the fact that it does not specify under what circumstances voluntary service can be transferred to the mandatory system. In this connection, the adoption of the draft law in the Bundestag was delayed.