Bundesminister Karin Prien (CDU) announced that this year she will present a draft law to strengthen voluntary services across Germany. She said the government must consider the resilience of society and asked, “What can I do for my country?” She highlighted that, in addition to the Bundeswehr, the federal voluntary service, youth services, and civil and disaster protection should all receive support. Prien stressed the goal of awakening Germans’ willingness to engage for national security, and pledged to coordinate the bill with the federal states through intensive dialogue.
The minister also noted that while a civil service is not possible without conscription, preparations should already be underway. In the event that conscription reappears, she wants a modern civil service framework in place. Because civil and voluntary services are closely intertwined, she said it is essential to review how best to organize them for the future.
Prien advocated that youth officers from the Bundeswehr visit schools. She described the Bundeswehr as the “parliamentary army” enshrined in Germany’s constitution, whose core mission is national defence, and argued that young officers are well placed to educate students about geopolitics and security. Finally, she pointed out that after the suspension of conscription, many young people lack the impetus to consider what they can do for their country, and that this conversation should be part of a broader societal discussion with young people of draft‑eligible age.