Young men who fail to complete the mandatory questionnaire related to the Bundeswehr’s new military service obligation can face a fine of 250 euros. This information, reported by Spiegel and sourced from the Ministry of Defence, clarifies that the fine will only be issued if men miss several deadlines and completely disregard explicit reminders to fill out the online form. Although the penalty could initially have been as high as 1,000 euros, the ministry has chosen a significantly lower fine to implement.
Five months after launching the questionnaire campaign, the rate of returns is reportedly quite high. The Ministry stated that 86 percent of the approximately 106,000 men who were contacted completed the form within the first four-week deadline. An additional five percent answered the questions concerning their fitness and interest in joining the Bundeswehr voluntarily after receiving a first reminder.
Officials expressed satisfaction with the resulting 91 percent response rate. Nevertheless, the effort will continue to encourage the remaining men to fill out the questionnaires through reminder notices. Imposing the fine is reserved as a last resort, only if all other reminders have failed. It is important to note that completing the online questionnaire is compulsory for men, but it remains voluntary for women.