Youth speaks plainly: Compulsory military service – a curse or a blessing?

Youth speaks plainly: Compulsory military service – a curse or a blessing?

On Friday, October 31st, Bundestag member Matthias Gastel from the Green Party invites all young people to an exciting youth consultation at Café Scholderbeck in Kirchheim unter Teck. From 2.30 p.m. he will engage in an important discussion with the participants about the possible reintroduction of compulsory military service and the idea of ​​a compulsory year for young people. In this context, Gastel is particularly interested in the opinions of young people, as decisive decisions on security and defense could be made in the Bundestag in December, which could have far-reaching consequences. It is also open to other concerns of young people.

The debate about compulsory military service has been reignited by the current international political situation. Since compulsory military service was suspended in 2011, young people in Germany have been faced with various options, be it training, volunteer service, studying or traveling. A circumstance that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) also recognizes, who is planning a partial return to compulsory military service, especially if the number of voluntary registrations is not sufficient. The Bundeswehr currently needs an estimated 60,000 additional soldiers in order to keep its personnel up to date.

Voices from the youth

But how do young people themselves feel about this issue? According to a recent poll by ZDF Politbarometer, 45% of Germans support a return to compulsory military service, while 35% are against it. It is interesting that young people aged 18 to 34 in particular are more skeptical about military service. More than half reject it, and they often feel they are not sufficiently included in the debate. For example, the student Lona expresses the opinion that the needs of her generation are not sufficiently taken into account in these considerations. She suggests being able to choose between military service and community service, which she believes would be more timely.

On the other hand, there are also voices like that of student Loreena, who is interested in a career in the Bundeswehr, but at the same time has concerns about possible deployments. Rimon, on the other hand, who is aiming to train as an automobile salesman, sees the need to prepare for a possible war.

Ways of thinking for the future

The Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, emphasizes the urgency of rearmament plans in Germany and Europe. At the same time, youth researcher Simon Schnetzer recognizes increasing acceptance of the Bundeswehr among young people. However, the question of whether military service makes sense remains a hot topic. In order to preserve the chance of a return to compulsory military service, a case of tension or defense would have to be identified in the Bundestag, which made it necessary to change the Basic Law in order to introduce compulsory military service for women.

In summary, future decisions about military service and military presence are not only based on political conditions, but also depend heavily on the opinions and needs of young people. Anyone who would like to have their say will have the opportunity on October 31st to exchange ideas with Matthias Gastel and other like-minded people and possibly influence the direction of this important debate.