Having the OK from the government, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is presenting a bill on a return to a mandatory military draft, following the model of Sweden. The bill introduces a voluntary military service, similar to Sweden, in which all youth leaving school are subject to military examination, though only some will eventually enter active service. In particular, the bill reinstates the mandatory registration of all men between 18 and 25 years old, requiring them to fill out a form declaring their readiness to perform military service.
The bill also defines that a return to full compulsory military service would occur, if the “security situation deteriorates” and the country faces a threat to its national safety. The pretext for all this is the “threat posed by Russia.” The bill, which still needs approval from the national parliament, is yet another provocation toward Russia: It plans to increase the total strength of the armed forces to 260,000 active soldiers, plus 200,000 reservists. Germany would thus ostensibly have 460,000 soldiers, “if the security situation deteriorates.”
