The chairman of the Defence Committee in the Bundestag, Thomas Röwekamp (CDU), has called for mandatory participation in military exercises for reservists and the involvement of their employers in this obligation. Röwekamp stated to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” (Thursday edition) that “we cannot afford a reserve structure in the current security situation that relies only on volunteers”. He added, “If we genuinely want to strengthen the German Armed Forces, we need more reliability and certainty”. Röwekamp criticized the current system, noting that reservists must get approval for a military exercise just as their employers must. He argued that “this dual principle of voluntariness causes us to be unable to plan with certainty at a critical moment. Our reserve must be quickly available and operational in an emergency, which requires clear obligations”. The CDU politician acknowledged the need “to keep the interests of the employers in mind” but concluded by saying, “Ultimately, a functioning national and alliance defence serves the interest of our entire society and thus also the economy”. Patrick Sensburg, president of the Reservists’ Association, emphasized that improvements to job security must accompany any changes. He told newspapers that “the demand to abolish the dual principle of voluntariness is correct and good. However, this must not come at a disadvantage to those who have served in the military. And it must not lead to a situation where employers no longer hire reservists or can dismiss them”. Sensburg stressed that “the abolition must be accompanied by significantly improved termination protection, so that reservists cannot be fired even in the long term. Otherwise, they will be the first to go in an emergency”. The German Armed Forces are planned to grow to at least 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists by 2035. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had previously announced a law to strengthen the reserves for that summer and plans to present a “Reserve Strategy” in April.
CDU Demands Mandatory Military Drills for Reserves Involving Employers
