Of the 18-year-old men contacted by the Bundeswehr as part of Germany's new military service framework, nearly three-quarters (72 percent) have returned the questionnaire sent to them. Just over one in four young men (28 percent) did not respond to the Bundeswehr's correspondence, despite men born from 2008 onward being obligated to do so, as reported by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND, Thursday editions) citing Bundeswehr sources.
The questionnaire contains questions about suitability and willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr. Unlike men, women are not obligated to provide information.
Around half of those who responded have signaled interest in completing the minimum six-month voluntary military service, according to Bundeswehr sources. However, this does not mean they will ultimately serve. In many cases, the deciding factor will be whether the Bundeswehr can offer interested candidates service as close to home as possible. Greater distances reduce the chances of recruitment.
The Defense Ministry stated that it will not tolerate men evading their obligation to respond. Instead, these cases will be pursued. Persistent refusers face fines. Those contacted have one month to respond.
The Defense Ministry recently announced that from the beginning of the year until April 24, approximately 194,000 men and women had received correspondence with access credentials to the questionnaire. From positive questionnaire responses, medical examinations and assessments will be conducted, and interested parties will be scheduled for specific assignments.
Reliable analyses and representative results will be presented in summer. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is required to submit figures every six months.
The goal is to increase the number of active Bundeswehr soldiers from the current 184,000 to between 255,000 and 270,000 by 2035. The law on voluntary military service specifies a target corridor for personnel numbers for each year until 2035. However, it leaves open when verification will occur to determine whether these milestones have been reached.
If these targets are not met, a so-called needs-based conscription could be introduced. This would then close the gaps between the armed forces' requirements and the actual number of available soldiers.
Pistorius recently expressed confidence that Germany could continue to avoid general conscription. Many experts and defense politicians in the CDU/CSU parliamentary group doubt this assessment.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
