The Ukraine War and the elongated shadow of Putin have not only reactivated the debate on Military spending In NATO. He has also recovered a word closely linked to that discussion and that for decades has been taboo in much of Europe: ‘milli’. Germany has decided that it changes. Your government has launched The legislative machinery to recover military service, suspended in the country since 2011. will do so with a voluntary recruitment system, although it already warns that this could change if the army does not grow to the Desired rhythm.
And the starting goal is ambitious.
What happened? That Germany has moved to recover military service. Yesterday, Friedrich Merz’s government government approved the bill that will open the doors to a new volunteer mili with which the country aspires to strengthen its defense. He did it after months of debatein a context in which each even more countries from Europe its military services are rethink and with a staging loaded with intentions: the announcement was made after a cabinet meeting in the Ministry of Defense, something that did not happen for several decades.
What do you want to do? At the moment implement a voluntary mili, although the Foreign Minister himself It has slipped That in a few years the government has not achieved its objectives will seek ways to achieve “a greater commitment.” What we will see in the short term is a Germany that reactivates the service with certain peculiarities: it will send a letter to all the men and women born from 2008 to respond whether they are interested or not to participate. In the same questionnaire questions about academic preparation and the state of physical form will be included.
Among those who respond affirmatively, a group of volunteers will be chosen who must undergo a medical examination. If everything is correct they will participate in a military service of at least half a year, a extendable term that will also include financial compensation. Selected young people can choose which of the army branches want to acquire skills, which includes the bodies of the marine, armed, air force and specialized units in cyberspace.
Are more details known? Yes. To begin with, the schedule that the government handles. The law must still receive the guarantee of Parliament, but Merz Trust in which the new mili can be released “immediately”, from 2026. It is also known that there will be A small difference Between men and women. Both will receive the questionnaire, but only they must cover it if they do not want to receive a fine.
After that difference, Clarify The countrythere is a mixture of historical and legislative factors. Until 2011, the year in which Germany said goodbye to the mandatory military service, the only ones who participated were the men. The government never eliminated the service, only suspended it, and expand the obligation now to women would require modifying the Constitution, which would further complicate the process.
Will it always be voluntary? The million dollar question. And it is not easy to answer it. At the moment the mili will return to German with a voluntary character, but Merz has left the door open To that change in the medium term: “If in the next one, two or three years the objectives are not met, we have created a mechanism in the law that will lead to greater commitment.” The change, of course, will demand that the Government and Parliament return to position themselves. The norm would therefore allow the recruitment approach to be reviewed without the need for the geopolitical context.
The voluntary (or mandatory) character of the service has been the great disagreement point and the detail that has most tensioned the discussion between the different political forces. The conservatives advocate a mechanism that allows recruits to be captured in a more agile way in the event that the Government considers it necessary and Christianocial Union even goes further by demanding the return to the mandatory mili. In the opposite pole there are who argues than the Bundeswehr I would arouse greater interest if the working conditions it offers to the young Germans.
Will you do something in that line? Yes. Conscious of the debate, Minister Boris Pistorius insisted Yesterday when the Executive is improving the conditions of the recruits. “In the future the salary will be 2,300 euros, a remarkable increase. There are no accommodation or medical insurance expenses. Therefore it is a package that considerably increases the attractiveness compared to the current situation.”
In an attempt to make the more attractive offer for recruits, he insisted that “flexible training schedules” and the possibility of participating in courses will be offered. What the government has also decided is that From 2028 It will implement a mandatory medical examination for all young people between 18 and 25 years old, which will allow the country to know its “really available recruits” base.
What is the goal? Reinforce the defense. Something that is better understood with figures. Right now the German army is made up of about 183,000 active men and women. What the government wants is to reach 260,000 at the beginning of the next decade, amount that NATO Consider adequate For the country. Another of Merz’s team is extend 200,000. To reach these figures will also involve a challenge for the German administration itself.
“We all want to see that increase quickly, but there are a number of objective criteria that must be met. The two basics are the locations and instructors. If we do not have them we cannot call rows to 350,000 young people from Germany. We are missing barracks and instructors. That means that now everything has to grow again from below, an increase that is being promoted,” Merz recognized yesterday.
Why now? By the European geopolitical context, marked by two major factors. The main one, the role of Russia and its relationship with Europe since the Kremlin decided to start the military occupation of Ukrainein 2022. The second is Trump’s arrival at the White House and what this has meant for European defense. In recent months the Republican leader He has demanded to NATO members a greater involvement in military spending and He has threatened with abandoning the alliance.
“Russia is and will continue to be the greatest threat to freedom, peace and stability in Europe for a long time. The German government is responding to this with determination,” Slavs Mertz. “Why do we need a new military service? After all the debates of the last weeks and months, there is something that is indisputable: the German army must grow. The international security situation, especially the aggressive attitude of Russia, demands so.”
Is Germany a unique case? No. Over the last years, since before Trump’s return to the White House, the mili has been recovering strength in Europe. After the invasion of Ukraine Lithuania and Ukraine They soon in recovering it and not long after they followed them Latvia. Sweden too agreed resume the mandatory mili in 2017 and its figure has not resurfaced with the same force in all nations, but at least it has stirred the political debate in Denmark, France and Germany. In Spain the government Discard recover the mili, disappeared in 2001.
Images | Resolugesupportmedia (Flickr) and Bundesweh
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