Bundeswehr | New draft law: Pistorius prepares for conscription

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) consistently emphasizes that a new military service will "initially" be voluntary . Now, according to a report in "Der Spiegel," the criteria by which a free choice will become mandatory have been established. The magazine reports on a corresponding draft law that has been submitted to him.

According to the plan, the federal government should in future be able to "initiate the compulsory conscription of conscripts, with the consent of the German Bundestag, if the defense situation so requires." According to the "Spiegel" report, conscription would not depend on whether a state of tension or conflict is declared—but rather on the assessment of the defense situation by the federal government and the Bundestag.

Yannick Kiesel, peace policy officer at the German Peace Society – United War Resisters (DFG-VK), sees this as a reduction of constitutional hurdles and democratic oversight: "As soon as it suits the government, it can lift the voluntary nature of service. When that will happen and what 'situation' is meant here, no one can know, and it hasn't been specified," Kiesel told "nd." This would massively lower the threshold for conscription and open the door to arbitrary coercive measures. The peace activist says: "This isn't true voluntary service, but rather a gradual remilitarization of society."

Desiree Becker, peace and disarmament policy spokesperson for the Left Party parliamentary group, takes a similar view: "At its core, Defense Minister Pistorius's main aim with this bill is to create a new legal basis for the reintroduction of conscription." Everything else in the bill is "flasher and accessories."

"This is not genuine voluntariness, but a gradual remilitarization of society."

Yannick Kiesel, speaker at the DFG-VK

This includes voluntary military service based on the "Swedish model": A questionnaire will be sent to all young people born in 2008 or later, asking whether they are interested in serving in the Bundeswehr. Men are required to complete it; for women, it is voluntary. Thus, the new military service "also contains mandatory elements from the outset," Spiegel magazine quotes from the draft.

The medical examination is to be introduced in the course of 2027 and will apply up to the age of 25. Unlike before the suspension of general conscription in 2011, it will no longer necessarily include a medical examination in every case. However, Kiesel believes this is "only a cosmetic change" intended to "make the new conscription model appear less harmful."

The service is intended to be made more attractive, among other things, with higher pay. According to the "Spiegel" report, conscripts would be paid as temporary soldiers and thus receive more than €2,000 net per month. Kiesel estimates the chances of success of such measures as slim: "Pistorius himself knows that he will hardly reach his target numbers purely on voluntary grounds – otherwise, there would be no need for mandatory registration for all 18-year-old men and no need for a selection process by the Bundeswehr." Left Party politician Becker shares this assessment: "An entire generation of young people is being put under pressure with the motto 'Volunteer now, or we'll force you later!'"

There are currently around 181,000 active soldiers in the Bundeswehr. Pistorius aims to reach an active troop strength of 203,000 by 2021. According to the new NATO targets, the Bundeswehr must even reach a personnel strength of at least 60,000 additional men and women.

The more than 50-page document, quoted by Der Spiegel, is a draft bill. The cabinet is expected to approve it at the end of August. Then, after the summer recess, the Bundestag could consider the planned changes, so that the new military service could be implemented in early 2026.