Debate Resurfaces Over National Service Amid Staffing Shortages in Military and Social Sectors

Political and military leaders in Germany have reignited discussions about reinstating compulsory military service, with some figures suggesting that the 2011 decision to phase out conscription was a mistake. This conversation comes after the country’s new defense minister, Boris Pistorius, remarked that the end of conscription had led to a detachment between the armed forces and German society.

Eva Högl, the parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces and a member of the center-left SPD, voiced concerns about the current personnel shortages in the Bundeswehr (German army) and suggested that Germany may need to reconsider compulsory civic service. Högl emphasized the need for more personnel to meet the military’s staffing demands, noting that the military’s size had been significantly reduced in recent decades.

The idea was also supported by Jan Christian Kaack, the chief of the German navy, who proposed a model similar to Norway’s, where men and women undergo an assessment at the age of 19, but only a small portion of each cohort is drafted into military service. Kaack argued that a national military service would boost national resilience, stating, “A nation that needs to become more resilient in times like these will have a higher level of awareness if it is mixed through with soldiers.”

Despite the growing calls for change, the German government has largely dismissed the idea of reinstating conscription. Finance Minister Christian Lindner described the debate as a “phantom dispute,” insisting that the focus should remain on strengthening the Bundeswehr as a professional military force. A government spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, also called the debate “nonsensical,” highlighting the challenges of quickly reversing the decision to professionalize the army.

The debate on conscription resurfaced after Pistorius, who took office as defense minister last month, publicly stated that the 2011 decision to phase out conscription was a mistake—not in the context of military threats, but in terms of the connection between the armed forces and the broader society. He recalled that conscription meant a soldier was a familiar figure in many German households, helping to integrate the army into civilian life.

From 1956 to 2011, German men were required to perform either military service or a civilian alternative (Zivildienst), with many choosing the latter to serve in social sectors like healthcare or elder care. However, following the reunification of Germany and a subsequent reduction in military needs, the conscription system was suspended under Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government in 2011.

Since then, the Bundeswehr has struggled to maintain adequate staffing levels, and social institutions have raised concerns about a shortage of young workers in sectors that once benefited from the Zivildienst program. While the call for reinstating conscription has garnered some support, the debate has sparked division within the government, with many advocating for a highly professionalized army rather than a return to mandatory national service.