Germany is debating whether women will be conscripted for compulsory military service, according to Tagesspiegel.
Bundestag Defence Commissioner Eva Högl (SPD) and Schleswig-Holstein Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) voiced their support for compulsory military service for young women.
According to Högl in the newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine, it is no longer inappropriate to focus only on young people. While Günther called compulsory military service for women a given in times of equality. The modern defence system in the Bundeswehr today requires both men and women equally, Högl stated. In spite of this, both said compulsory military service in its current form fails to materialise due to the inability to provide for the military.
Günther said he supports compulsory military service for both genders for a transitional period until compulsory military service is introduced.
To date, Germany has discussed models in which young men and women could choose between serving in the Bundeswehr or, for example, in social services, nature conservation or development aid. Former military commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that there is no alternative to compulsory military service.
Since it was suspended in 2011, there have been more and more unfilled positions in the Bundeswehr. This currently amounts to about a tenth of the planned strength of 200,000 soldiers. However, in the current security situation, a higher target number is actually needed.
On 9 May, Boris Pistorius, Defence Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, during his visit to Washington, said that Berlin is ready to play a leading role in security policy in Europe and intends to support the renewal of conscription in the German Armed Forces.
