In the face of escalating tensions between NATO and Russia, along with doubts about US security commitments, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has declared an ambitious goal: Building the strongest regular army in Europe.
To realize this commitment, he has assigned Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to find solutions to increase military recruitment.
However, while Pistorius and his Social Democratic Party support the attraction of volunteer soldiers, Merz's conservative Democratic Alliance faction is pushing for a more enforcement option: including a "military service lottery" in the law. However, Minister Pistorius dismissed the idea, calling it a "half-way and unthinking solution".
German public opinion, especially families with soon-to-be-mature boys, are buzzing with the proposal to restore mandatory military service, a policy that has been suspended since 2011.
"It's like playing lottery, are you lucky or not," said Stefan Brunnecke, a principal and father of two sons.
Leonhardt Roitsche, a 21-year-old student, felt that politicians were making big decisions about the lives of young people without really paying attention to their views. "I understand that we need a capable army, but I don't think that a year of military service for 18-year-olds is necessarily the right solution," he said.
Ms. Ginga Eischler, an 80-year-old pensioner, has been much harsher criticized. "I can't believe that anyone could even come up with such an idea," she said. "Young people have to draw lots to decide whether they will be murdered or kill someone themselves? No, that's unacceptable."
During the Cold War, both the West and East Germany relied on military regimes to maintain large armies. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany reduced its armed forces and suspended military rule in 2011 under Chancellor Angela Merkel, moving to a smaller professional army.
The full-scale conflict in Ukraine in 2022 completely changed the situation and forced Germany to sharply increase defense spending. Plans call for an additional 40,000 new recruits each year by 2031, a far-reaching number compared to about 15,000 expected to join the army this year.
Experts also have mixed opinions. Some say it is too early to discuss military regime, as Germany will have to spend years rebuilding the infrastructure needed to select and train new recruits.
However, others look at social benefits. They believe that mandatory military service will help connect the army with the people. Allowing more young people to experience life in the army will help "break the gap between the army and society", making the armed forces closer and more understood.
