Germany ‘drops conscription’ for optional military service

17 comments

1. ***The Telegraph reports:***

   Germany has reportedly abandoned plans for military conscription in favour of optional military service, fearful that it might lose Left-wing voters.

   In a meeting this week with leaders of the ruling SPD, Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defence minister, unveiled a significantly watered-down version of the original plan that will also include enticements like student discounts and free language courses, Germany’s Spiegel reported.

   The new model will be “largely voluntary”, sources told Spiegel, and look to lure in recruits with special perks, such as waiving fees for driving licences, free language courses or discounts on student loan repayment.

   Germany is on a mission to drastically expand its army, with ambitions to become Europe’s biggest military spender.

   This week Rishi Sunak, too, floated the idea that his Conservative Party would introduce mandatory national service for 18-year-olds if it wins the election in July.

   A German return to conscription had been feted as a sign that Berlin was serious about these plans in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

   But with EU parliamentary elections next month, the revised policy appears to be motivated by domestic politics and the concern that conscription would alienate young people and Left-wing voters.

   According to Spiegel, there was no mention of the phrase “compulsory military service” during the presentation by Mr Pistorius to SPD allies. However, over-18s may be required to fill out a medical questionnaire to assess their physical fitness under the new scheme.

   The new version of the scheme appears so watered down that it has become more of an expansion of the Bundeswehr’s existing recruitment programmes, the magazine noted.

   The apparent U-turn by the German defence ministry, which under Mr Pistorius has been trying to transform the country into a “kriegstüchtig,” or “war-ready” nation, comes despite Mr Pistorius championing the Swedish model of conscription.

   There a hundred thousand youngsters are screened for service each year, but then only 5 per cent join the military.

   The Bundeswehr already sends postcards to young people as soon as they turn 18 in an attempt to get them thinking about military service as an early career option. But Mr Pistorius had previously said he was ‘convinced’ conscription was necessary.

   Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has been one of those against the idea, which was deeply unpopular among young Germans even before it was scrapped in 2011.

   Earlier in May, Mr Scholz poured cold water on the Swedish model during a visit to Stockholm, as he called for a “balanced” idea that was tailored to Germany’s needs.

   **Full story:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/28/germany-abandons-conscription-optional-military-service/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/28/germany-abandons-conscription-optional-military-service/)

2. Well, that‘s useless.

   Good job on Germany for being so close to making good policy decisions for the future, but fumbling again.

3. Once again, the benefit of the people and nation is thrown aside to appease some fringe left-wing voters.

   Fuck’s sake.

4. Party politics, the social democrats decided to campaign with the satirical slogan “Peace” as if one could vote for that, and Pistorius had to follow party line

5. We do not need conscription. The only thing conscription realistically is good for – unless you‘re already in a war – is preparing for Russian style combat with waves and waves of infantry being sent to their death. Realistically, some infantry combat and maybe driving a tank is all you can learn in 6 months, and we‘d certainly nit go back to 12 or even 18 months like during the cold war. Not with the lack of workforce Germany already is experiencing.

   Resources are much better spent making voluntary service of 1-2 years more attractive and maybe also allowing privates and corporals to serve for life instead of kicking them out after 8 or 12 years

6. Good, conscription and a standing army of cannon fodder is bullshit. Just boomers demanding sacrifices from young people. We are in NATO, EU etc. we need specialized forces and the best weapons but a defensive war with central Europe is a nuclear one. No use for conscripts.

   If you want to advertise a military career there are other options than to make every generation lose a year. Eg. Better payment, more flexibility in choosing your location and career.

7. Like some guy wrote I would rather know how to use weapons and not need them then other way around.

8. “Ofcourse we should be well prepared and prevent genocide in Ukraine.”

   “But wait I don’t want to do a year of my life for the benefit of millions”

   No conscription is not cannon fodder, you can be Russia and you can have a modern Nordic style conscription. Knowing basic civil defense, knowing how to operate weapons and basic tactics is not going to kill you. Knowing what to do when the sirens start blasting and having basic organisation is not going to take away your life. Oh he’s the nuclear deterrent, so we take it if Russia invaded the Baltics and Poland tomorrow nukes fly out, dumbest idea ever. Rather be ready for war and never to happen than being Pikachu faced if Putin makes another idiotic decision. No I’m not a boomer, I’m in my early 20s and 1 year won’t waste your life potential of being a Reddit mod.

9. Strange move of Germany, not first in this war

10. Damn.

    Who’s gonna wipe my ass when I’m old, if we can’t force 18 year olds to do it full-time for 500€ per month? Without Wehrdienst, there’s no Zivildienst.

11. Good for Germany.

12. How can we “drop conscription” when that has been thrown out since 2010.

    Weird way to write the headline.

13. Well no one wants to go fight in someone else’s war so… yeah you’d lose some votes lol.

14. Should still be mandatory one year service like my father and uncles did. Dropping that during what could be an upcoming war time is not the best idea.
    And if not, hey everyone knows how to shoot and dig trenches. Also there is the drinking and many people steeling vast quantities of stuff… but my Dad was born in 56, so things might have changed since their service.

15. Funny how being a free country must include not making a slave of someone for a year.

16. Our reminder that the SPD is still Germany’s strongest party where Putinversteher dictate party doctrine.

17. What an irony. While the Eastern NATO members are strengthening their forces rapidly, Germany is… WTF are they even doing?!

    All talk, endless red tape, and no action (except the brigade in Lithuania).