In a recent statement, the President of the Reserve Association, Patrick Sensburg, has expressed support for the reinstatement of conscription and advocated for a national referendum to include women in the mandatory service.
Sensburg emphasized the importance of a public vote, suggesting that a majority of the population should be consulted on the issue of including women in the conscription process. He told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, “We should hold a referendum to find out if, in the opinion of the population, women should also be compulsorily inducted.” If a majority in favor of women’s conscription were to emerge, Sensburg expressed his skepticism about the German Bundestag’s ability to resist the change, stating, “I wouldn’t know how the Bundestag could avoid it.”
A two-thirds majority in the parliament would be required to include women in the conscription process. Sensburg highlighted the significance of the outcome, saying, “What ultimately comes out is what matters. And in the end, it will be shown that the new military service doesn’t bring anything at all.” He attributed the decline in the number of soldiers and the demographic challenges to the aging of the military personnel and the need for a more proactive approach, suggesting that the conscription system should be reinstated, as voluntary enlistment has not been successful.
Sensburg also criticized the government’s tendency to ignore the problems, stating, “We must move away from the denial of the problems and towards shaping the future. That is how the Minister will be measured as well.