Amid Russia ramping up its military aggression in Ukraine, Germany is considering introducing conscription for all 18-year-olds to boost its troop numbers.
Leaked plans from Berlin reported in the German media disclosed this development. Military planners in the capital are in the final stages of discussing three options, with two of them involving a form of conscription. But German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will have the final say on the matter when he publicly announces the official plans by June.
According to the Telegraph, the first option would involve a compulsory military year for young men once they turn 18. While the scheme was suspended in 2011, it will also apply to young women once reinstated.
The second option, similar to a lottery system, would only apply to 18-year-old men. Young German men would be required to fill out an online form, but won't see everyone selected, as per details given to the Die Welt newspaper.
Lastly, the third option would ditch mandatory military service. Instead, it will focus on "optimizing" the current system by engaging in more proactive recruitment campaigns.
The first option would require a change to the German Basic Law, but it is seen inside the German Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) as the option most likely to receive societal approval. Meanwhile, the BMVg sees the second option as "a strong signal" to both allies and rivals.
Pistorius himself is believed to be against the third option, remarking during a trip to Washington, D.C. that he was convinced "Germany needs a form of military conscription." The defense minister, a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), has previously described the decision to suspend conscription as "a mistake."
According to German public broadcaster DW, Article 12a of the German constitution states that "men can be obligated to serve in the [German Armed Forces], in the Federal Border Guard or in a civil defense unit from the age of 18."
Pistorius faces challenges with his plan to reintroduce conscription
The Telegraph mentioned that the possible return of conscription comes as Germany's aging society means the number of soldiers heading into retirement is outpacing the number of recruits signing up to replace them. Berlin has also set a target of raising the side of the nation's armed forces from roughly 180,000 to more than 200,000. However, the BMVg is believed to be skeptical that this target can be met without some form of conscription.
The outlet also noted that Pistorius, Germany's most popular politician based on opinion polls, is likely to face considerable resistance to his plans from within the government.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has previously voiced his opposition to such a move. Lawmakers from the Free Democratic Party and Alliance 90/The Greens, junior coalition partners of the ruling SPD in the German parliament, have also reiterated their opposition to mandatory conscription.
Despite this, the momentum for reintroducing conscription is growing. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany's main opposition party, reversed its stance on the matter at its party conference. It voted for a motion to support the "reintroduction of conscription in a step-by-step process."
For his part, Pistorius lauded the opposition party's reversal, saying that he was "pleased that the CDU is on a similar path to the one I have been working on." The defense minister also signaled his openness to work across party lines to achieve this goal.
Former CDU lawmaker Patrick Stensburg, a reserve colonel with the German Armed Forces, said last year that the abolition of mandatory military service was a mistake.
He told DW at the time: "It's not good enough if we can only defend one or two states with a [military] that is too small and too poorly equipped. Of course, conscription costs money, national defense costs money. That's a decision we have to make politically. Do we want to be able to defend our country at all?"