A leading voice within Germany’s national student representative body is publicly challenging the government’s approach to the controversial new conscription law, arguing that the current trajectory risks alienating a generation and undermining the law’s potential success. Quentin Gärtner, General Secretary of the Bundesschülerkonferenz (Federal Student Conference), is slated to appear as an expert witness before the Bundestag’s Defense Committee and he used the opportunity to express profound concerns regarding the lack of meaningful student consultation.
Speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, Gärtner highlighted a core and troubling, assumption underpinning the legislation: that young people will readily shoulder the burden of national security crises. “We are positioned as the nation’s rapid response force” he stated, articulating a sentiment likely shared by many within the student body. “Regardless of where the crisis arises, the expectation is that young people will be the ones to resolve it. However, this simply won’t function if the Federal Government neglects to involve us from the outset. Where will we find the motivated young people if decisions are made “over” their heads?
Gärtner’s criticism goes beyond mere procedure. He argues that the government’s focus on reactivating conscription occurs without addressing the underlying societal factors that might encourage participation. He strongly advocates for a concurrent and substantial investment in the mental health and educational resources available to young people. “Alongside this legislation, we need a significant and proactive initiative addressing the mental wellbeing and fostering the education of young people. “Then” we can effectively address national defense.
His remarks represent a potential fissure within the ongoing debate surrounding the new conscription law, suggesting that a top-down approach, devoid of genuine youth engagement, is destined to fail. The burgeoning criticism raises pertinent questions about the government’s understanding of generational commitment and the long-term implications of a conscription model that fails to consider the perspectives of those it intends to engage. The committee’s response to Gärtner’s testimony and the government’s willingness to adapt its strategy, will be closely watched as the legislation moves forward.