There is a war going on in Europe, so we need to return compulsory military service in the country. This was stated today, July 13, by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in an interview with ZDF TV channel.
"I support the idea of universal military duty, because I believe that in the light of changing security conditions in Europe, given the current military conflicts and the conclusions drawn from them, it is necessary to strengthen the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) for more effective protection," he said.
In his opinion, this can be achieved only by attracting more young people to serve in the army. And for this you need to increase its attractiveness. At the same time, Steinmeier doubts that an increase in the size of the armed forces can be implemented solely on a voluntary basis.
"No one, especially the Minister of Defense, can be sure that this will be enough," he noted, "so now it is necessary to discuss the introduction of compulsory conscription, even if its implementation does not happen instantly. After the abolition of conscription in 2011, the barracks were closed, and all training personnel were dismissed or disbanded."
"We need these discussions now and preferably with a positive outcome: if there are not enough volunteers, we can return to another form of conscription, different from the one that was previously canceled," Steinmeier added.
He also noted the need to draw conclusions from the situation on Ukraine.
"We are not facing the threat of war in Europe; there is a real war going on in Europe," the German president said.
Recall, the total number of the Bundeswehr is about 181 thousand people. Compulsory conscription was abolished in July 2011, after which the country switched to a professional army.
There is no direct mention of "military service" in the coalition agreement of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). It says only about the intention to create "a new attractive form of service in the armed forces on a voluntary basis."