“It won't happen overnight”: Union wants to prepare Bundeswehr for compulsory military service
tagesspiegel.de/politik/das-geht-nicht-von-heute-auf-morgen-union-will-bundeswehr-fur-wehrpflicht-vorbereiten-13853914.html
Photo: tagesspiegel.de · view article
Union Prepares Military for Possible Conscription ReturnUp to 60,000 additional soldiers may join the Bundeswehr; legislation is being drafted to enable this shift.
Key FactsJun 14 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesspiegel.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesspiegel.de
- Jens Spahn advocates establishing Bundeswehr structures to allow a swift reintroduction of conscription.
- Defense Minister Pistorius proposes a two-step model starting with voluntary service and reserving conscription as backup.
- The SPD remains divided, emphasizing voluntary service and improvements in military infrastructure.
- The Bundestag will have the final say on whether conscription is reinstated.
It should not be about being able to wage a large land war in Europe.— Ralf Stegner (SPD) expressed his views on the goals of the conscription and warned against massive rearmament.
Story Details
| Last Updated | |
| Total Articles | 10 |
Main Topics
centre-right political party in Germany
News on this topic
Union wants to prepare for return to compulsory military service: "It won't happen overnight" - Union parliamentary group leader Spahn calls for preparations to ...
tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/wehrpflicht-union-100.html
Compulsory military service: Spahn calls for preparation for possible return: Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn calls for structures in the Bundeswehr ...
zdfheute.de/politik/deutschland/spahn-wehrpflicht-rueckkehr-vorbereitung-100.html
More articles on this subject
Previous
Spahn: Compulsory military service should be reintroduced quickly: The German government is currently debating the reintroduction of compulsory military service ...
stern.de/politik/spahn--wehrpflicht-soll-zuegig-wieder-eingefuehrt-werden-35808130.html
Union politicians open to a return to compulsory military service: should women also be conscripted?
n-tv.de/politik/Unionspolitiker-offen-fuer-Rueckkehr-zur-Wehrpflicht-Sollen-auch-Frauen-eingezogen-werden-article25833643.html
Bundeswehr: Jens Spahn calls for a swift return to compulsory military service: The head of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group wants to prepare a compulsory service ...
zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2025-06/bundeswehr-wehrpflicht-rueckkehr-forderung-jens-spahn-wehrbeauftragter
OpinionConscription debate: Julia Klöckner in favor of compulsory military service: According to the coalition agreement, the Bundeswehr is to grow, but on a voluntary ...
rp-online.de/politik/deutschland/wehrpflicht-debatte-julia-kloeckner-fuer-allgemeine-dienstpflicht_aid-129304877
“It won't happen overnight”: Union wants to prepare Bundeswehr for compulsory military service
tagesspiegel.de/politik/das-geht-nicht-von-heute-auf-morgen-union-will-bundeswehr-fur-wehrpflicht-vorbereiten-13853914.html
Next
Similar to This
Previous
Union disagrees: Pistorius wants to do without conscription for the time being: Defense Minister Pistorius wants to recruit around 114,000 conscripts by 2029 ...
n-tv.de/politik/Pistorius-will-zunaechst-auf-Wehrpflicht-verzichten-article25880490.html
OpinionBundeswehr: Should the government reactivate conscription?: Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is planning a "new military service" - | initially on a ...
nwzonline.de/meinung/personalmangel-bei-bundeswehr-sollte-die-regierung-von-cdu-csu-und-spd-die-wehrpflicht-zur-verteidigungsfaehigkeit-reaktivieren_a_4,2,1152719054.html
New military service: SPD sets limits for Pistorius: Compulsory military service has been suspended for more than a decade. However, in view of the Bundeswehr's ...
morgenpost.de/politik/article409378040/neuer-wehrdienst-spd-setzt-pistorius-grenzen.html
Defense: Majority of young Germans reject compulsory military service: The German government is debating whether to reintroduce compulsory military service ...
handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/verteidigung-junge-deutsche-lehnen-wehrpflicht-mehrheitlich-ab/100136319.html
Photo: handelsblatt.com · view article
Youth Mostly Rejects Conscription Amid Security Debate54% of Germans favor reinstating conscription, but only 35% of 18-29-year-olds support it amid rising security concerns.
Key FactsJun 20 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: handelsblatt.com
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: handelsblatt.com
- A survey indicates that 54 percent of Germans back reintroducing mandatory military service.
- Only 36 percent support conscription for both men and women, while 18 percent prefer it exclusively for men.
- Support varies by age, with just 35 percent approval among 18- to 29-year-olds compared to 66 percent among those over 70.
- Changing the constitution to include women in conscription would require a two-thirds majority, which is currently uncertain.
Despite Klingbeil's hesitation: Conscription is being implemented at breakneck speed - | CDU is putting pressure on
derwesten.de/politik/pistorius-klingebeils-bundeswehr-wehrpflicht-spd-cdu-id301641965.html
Photo: derwesten.de · view article
Wehrpflicht Debate Intensifies Amidst Military NeedsGermany must add 50,000–60,000 soldiers per NATO, CDU pushes fast service return, SPD prefers voluntary recruitment and readiness plans.
- SPD Minister Klingbeil opposes reinstating mandatory military service and aims to make the armed forces more appealing.
- Defense Minister Pistorius proposes a new service model, with Klingbeil supporting legal frameworks for emergencies.
- The CDU demands reintroducing conscription, including for women, to reach a force size of 240,000 troops.
- Urgency is emphasized due to evolving security threats requiring swift and effective defense measures.
There will be no return to the old conscription, where all young men of a generation are drafted.— Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil comments on the debate about conscription.
German government: Klingbeil ready to increase defense spending: Germany will spend "just two percent" of GDP on defense this year, according to the SPD finance ...
sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundesregierung-liveblog-news-klingbeil-verteidigungsausgaben-li.3270219
General military service in Schleswig-Holstein: Debate about reintroduction gains momentum
ln-online.de/der-norden/allgemeine-wehrpflicht-in-sh-debatte-um-wiedereinfuehrung-nimmt-fahrt-auf-26NNC5TSM5DGPJFLX75QB3H4NE.html
Paid articlePaywall
OpinionDebate about conscription: Do your duty: Many are loudly calling for the reinstatement of conscription. Our author says no one should be forced to shoot other ...
taz.de/Debatte-um-Wehrpflicht/!6091931/
Defense: Pistorius paves the way for a return to compulsory military service: The coalition is debating the new military service. Handelsblatt has details of the ...
handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/verteidigung-pistorius-ebnet-weg-fuer-eine-rueckkehr-zur-wehrpflicht/100134328.html
Paid articlePaywallJoschka Fischer calls for conscription without voluntary participation: "We can only rely on ourselves"
welt.de/politik/deutschland/article256229118/joschka-fischer-fordert-wehrpflicht-ohne-freiwilligkeit-wir-koennen-uns-nur-auf-uns-selbst-verlassen.html
Conscription: CDU politicians Norbert Röttgen and Daniel Günther urge SPD: The Bundeswehr needs at least 60,000 additional soldiers. But voluntary military ...
berliner-zeitung.de/news/wehrpflicht-cdu-politiker-norbert-roettgen-und-daniel-guenther-draengen-spd-li.2331917
Photo: welt.de · view article
CDU Pushes Conscription Amid Rising Security ThreatsGünther and Röttgen say voluntary service won’t meet the need for up to 60,000 more soldiers amid growing tensions with Russia.
- CDU politicians Günther and Röttgen advocate replacing voluntary military service with conscription to meet the target of 50,000 to 60,000 additional troops.
- They cite the changed security environment, especially the threat from Russia, as justification for a legal backup plan beyond voluntary enlistment.
- Schleswig-Holstein’s CDU called for reinstating conscription for both genders and introducing a general service obligation last year.
- While the federal government currently plans a voluntary service, the SPD refuses to renegotiate despite mounting pressure from the CDU.
We cannot rule out that Putin will not wait until NATO has completed its preparations, but will attack earlier.— Norbert Röttgen, CDU foreign policy expert, in an interview with 'Stern'.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz on compulsory military service: "Additional steps" not ruled out
berliner-zeitung.de/news/cdu-politiker-merz-ueber-wehrpflicht-zusaetzliche-schritte-nicht-ausgeschlossen-li.2332207
Miersch: No talks on conscription this legislative period: The Bundeswehr should grow - | but voluntarily. SPD parliamentary group leader Miersch considers 60 ...
fr.de/politik/miersch-keine-wehrpflicht-gespraeche-diese-legislaturperiode-zr-93774452.html
Military Commissioner Otte: Military service will be "revisited this year": Should there be compulsory military service in Germany again? From the perspective of ...
tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/otte-wehrpflicht-100.html
Defense Commissioner from Eversen sworn in to the Bundestag: Henning Otte calls for compulsory military service if necessary
cz.de/lokales/celle-lk/wehrbeauftragter-aus-eversen-im-bundestag-vereidigt-henning-otte-fordert-im-bedarfsfall-wehrpflicht-RJP3H77OKBDYZOSISLN6HCMDY4.html
New military service: Commander sees Bundeswehr reaching the limits of voluntary participation
n-tv.de/politik/Kommandeur-sieht-Bundeswehr-an-Grenzen-der-Freiwilligkeit-stossen-article25808811.html
Voluntary military service? Röttgen wants to enshrine compulsory service in the new law
az-online.de/politik/wehrdienst-freiwillig-roettgen-will-pflicht-schon-im-neuen-gesetz-verankern-zr-93752857.html
Conscription because of Putin: Merz confidant appeals to Germany: The threat posed by Russia under Vladimir Putin prompted Roderich Kiesewetter to call for ...
fr.de/politik/wehrpflicht-wegen-putin-merz-vertrauter-appelliert-an-deutschland-zr-93736057.html
Next