German Defense Committee Chairman Thomas Röwekamp Welcomes Compulsory Military Service Option
Germany’s Defense Committee Chairman, Thomas Röwekamp of the Christian Democratic Union, has expressed support for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s plan to introduce an optional partial return to compulsory military service in the draft law. Röwekamp does not believe that the voluntary growth of the military will be sufficient to meet the personnel needs of the Bundeswehr by 2029.
In an interview with RTL and ntv’s “Frühstart” program, Röwekamp stated that a review of the progress would be possible after the first year and if the voluntary growth is insufficient, the government would need to consider “compulsory elements.” This implies that the reintroduction of compulsory military service could occur during the current legislative period.
Röwekamp also emphasized the importance of preparing the necessary legal framework to avoid a complex and time-consuming legislative process in the future. The Bundeswehr currently has around 180,000 active personnel and the projected need is expected to range between 260,000 and 280,000 soldiers in the future.