Germany prepares to resume military conscription
According to the publication Spiegel, The German government is considering return to compulsory military service, The project will be cancelled if it fails to attract enough volunteers.
The call was suspended in 2011, However, the current security situation in Europe is prompting Berlin to reconsider its defence policy.
How the new service model will work
According to the draft reform, military service in Germany will take place in three stages:
The first stage: the service will remain voluntary.
The second stage: In case of staff shortages, the following will be introduced a lottery for the prize.
The third stage: even if this does not provide the army with the required number of people, restore mandatory conscription for all eligible citizens.
200 thousand reservists - the goal of the defence strategy
According to Spiegel, Germany plans to create a reserve of 200,000 people, to strengthen the country's defence capabilities against the backdrop of growing threats in Europe.
Defence Minister Borys Pistorius has previously noted that a return to military conscription is «an inevitable step in the new geopolitical realities».
«We must be ready not only for defence, but also for rapid mobilisation in case of danger,» the Defence Minister stressed.
Context: strengthening Europe's defence
Other EU countries are also reviewing their approaches to mobilisation.
Denmark, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden have already fully or partially renewed the draft after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.
European governments emphasise that the continent's defence capability should be collective.
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