German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) has sharply criticized the opposition bloc for blocking his proposed conscription law. “The behavior of the Union parliamentary group is reckless because it may delay the introduction of the new military service and, with it, the reintroduction of registration for conscription,” the SPD politician told Handelsblatt on Saturday.
He added that the parliamentary process offers various ways to introduce differing views on a bill, such as through amendments. The hearing of experts, Pistorius noted, serves precisely to bring in external expertise to ensure that no argument is overlooked.
Earlier, the CDU/CSU parliamentary group had halted the first reading in the Bundestag of the draft law introduced by Pistorius, which was originally scheduled for next week. A spokesperson for the conservative bloc told AFP on Friday that the proposal was still considered “inadequate.” Pistorius’ plan aims to bring tens of thousands of new recruits to the Bundeswehr each year, initially on a voluntary basis.
A compulsory draft is foreseen only if recruitment goals are not met or if the security situation requires higher numbers. However, there is no automatic mechanism, fixed number, or set date for activating mandatory service.
The CDU and CSU are now calling for a “concrete growth path” for the number of Bundeswehr recruits and clear provisions for what should happen if recruitment targets are missed, the spokesperson added. Until an agreement with the SPD is reached, the conservatives argue, the proposal should not be debated in parliament. The first reading of the bill, therefore, is expected to be removed from next week’s agenda.
Prominent Union politicians, including parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn (CDU), have, according to Welt am Sonntag, pointed to recent violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones and aircraft, warning that Russia could be capable of attacking a NATO country by 2029.
Postponing the first reading of the bill while citing these airspace incidents shows the inconsistency of the Union’s actions, which many in the government found very surprising, said Defense Minister Pistorius. “What drone overflights have to do with conscription remains the secret of Union representatives,” the SPD politician emphasized.
He added that the Union’s behavior unfortunately also damages the government’s reputation rather than building trust. “Therefore, I call on the Union parliamentary group to stick to the timetable and participate in the process as the parliamentary procedure provides,” the minister said.
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