In a surprising turn of events, former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has expressed support for the reintroduction of military conscription. In an interview with the Spiegel, Fischer stated, “I believe we need to reintroduce conscription. The personnel strength of the Bundeswehr is terribly low.”
Fischer’s opinion diverges from the current plan of the new government, which proposes a voluntary military service, initially based on a volunteer system. He believes that this approach will not be sufficient to make Germany a credible deterrent, saying, “If we want to be a deterrent, it won’t work without conscription.”
Fischer also advocates for the conscription of women, emphasizing the importance of gender equality. “Both sexes are in demand. Either we have equality or we don’t” he said.
Notably, Fischer had previously been opposed to conscription, describing his earlier stance as a mistake in hindsight. “For one’s own freedom, one must stand up for it. If it comes down to it, one must also fight” he said.
This stance is in line with that of Henning Otte, the new Wehrbeauftragte of the Bundestag, who has announced his willingness to support a mandatory military service if the Bundeswehr cannot be adequately staffed through voluntary means. Even the German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, has left the door open for the reintroduction of conscription under certain conditions.