German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday proposed that the country require young men to register for potential military service, in a move that comes 13 years after Germany effectively abolished national conscription.
The step would not reinstate conscription. Pistorius instead stressed that he anticipates using the registration questionnaires to see who might have interest in voluntarily doing service with Germany's military, known as the Bundeswehr.
Pistorius described the idea as "selective military service," designed to allow the military to call up only "the fittest, most suitable and most motivated" for training.
Young men would be required to fill out the questionnaires, but young women would also be given copies and be asked to voluntarily submit the form as well, Pistorius said at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Pistorius said that's because the military service requirement, which remains in Germany's constitution, applies only to men.
Around 40,000 expected to be mustered
Pistorius said that military planners estimate that 400,000 people will have to complete the planned questionnaire each year, and about a quarter of the men could express an interest in entering the military.
Some 40,000 candidates could then take part in the physical check-up. That call-up would be mandatory for those who receive it, but Pistorius stressed that he anticipates only summoning those who indicate a voluntary interest.
"We don't want a boring, meaningless military service," Pistorius said. "But rather a military service that is meaningful and makes sense."
There is currently capacity to train between 5,000 to 7,000 recruits, but this is set to grow. The military service is expected to last six or 12 months.
The proposal represents a first step towards potentially reinstating some form of mandatory military service, a controversial issue in Germany, and would require a change to the military service law.
Pistorius stressed on Wednesday that no one would be forced to serve in the military against their will or beliefs: "Of course people will have the right to refuse military service. That remains unchanged."
Military struggling to recruit
Germany effectively abolished conscription in 2011 after 55 years, with a system that also generally allowed men to opt out of the military and do civilian service instead.
Although many of the institutions and facilities for the conscription system have since been dismantled, the country's law continues to allow for mandatory service in the event of war or other tensions.
The Bundeswehr has struggled to recruit enough volunteers to fill the ranks, and last year shrank to 181,500 soldiers despite new efforts to attract volunteers.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has put the military's shortfalls into renewed focus, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged to rebuild the armed forces.
Adding more recruits is intended to help make the army "war-ready," as Pistorius describes it.
Pistorius commissioned studies of various models of compulsory service ahead of Wednesday's announcement.
Mixed reaction from politicians
The proposal met with a mixed response from leading German politicians in parliament. The idea of bringing back compulsory military service is very controversial in the country.
Some lawmakers welcomed the proposal as a useful idea to address military manpower shortages, even as many expressed hesitation over the mandatory elements.
Florian Hahn of the centre-right CDU/CSU opposition bloc said he expected Pistorius to unveil more far-reaching plans that may have included actually bringing back compulsory service, and suspected that Scholz and the coalition had "let him run out of steam" during a nine-month review of the issue.
Dirk Vöpel, who like Pistorius is a member of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), expressed support for Pistorius' proposal.
"In case of defence, we need a stronger reserve," he said, adding that it's now crucial to "revive structures that have been completely destroyed with the suspension of compulsory military service."
Vöpel, however, did not comment specifically on the compulsory questionnaires and a physical examinations proposed by Pistorius, which are controversial within the SPD.
"Regardless of what the legal requirements will look like in concrete terms, the aim must be to recruit significantly more young men and women to serve in the Bundeswehr than before," he said.
Sara Nanni of the Greens said her party was prepared to engage constructively with the proposal, even if there were still many unanswered questions. She said Germany needs an impetus that tells young people "your country needs you," but said the mandatory elements raise legal and social questions.
Alexander Müller of the free-market liberal Free Democrats (FDP) called it an interesting concept but remained uncommitted. He said a light version of compulsory service would be difficult for his party to back.
Rüdiger Lucassen of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), meanwhile, dismissed the proposal as insufficient while also accusing Pistorius of escalating tensions with Russia.
"It puts our entire population in turmoil, because of course it clearly creates a mood of war, which he [Pistorius] also feeds by saying that the Russian Federation and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin would be ready to attack in 2029," said Lucassen.
