Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
President Aoun: We urge the activation of the monitoring committee, the cessation of hostilities, ongoing Israeli violations, attacks
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to US Envoy Morgan Ortagus: Southerners must be enabled to return to their homes and rebuild
Syrian sources: The Israeli occupation has begun withdrawing from the areas it infiltrated last night in the Quneitra countryside.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Massive bombings in eastern Gaza, the second within half an hour, and its sound was heard from central area.
Russian air defense units destroyed a drone that was heading toward Moscow.
Maduro: Tomorrow, a business meeting will be held bringing together hundreds of entrepreneurs from advanced Russian industries with hundreds of Venezuelan businesspeople.
Maduro: In the face of threats, Trinidad and Tobago agreed to suspend all effects of the energy agreement and everything that had been agreed upon in that regard.
Maduro: It’s time to make a choice, either stand with the warmongers who want death and violence, or stand with life.
Maduro: They want our wealth. This is not about drug trafficking, and they know it.
Maduro: Everyone in the world knows that what the economic elite ruling the United States seeks today is Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold.

Chancellor Merz under pressure over German military conscription

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: New websites
  • 15 Aug 2025 14:19
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Germany’s coalition government is divided over the Military Service Modernization Act, with the Christian Democratic Union pushing the state to adopt a mandatory service year.

Listen
  • x
  • German soldiers operating Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks are shown during a military exercise at the military training area in Munster, northern Germany, in 2017. (Patrik Stollarz/AFP via Getty Images)
    German soldiers operating Leopard 2A7 main battle tanks are shown during a military exercise at the military training area in Munster, northern Germany, in 2017 (AFP via Getty Images)

Germany’s ruling coalition is preparing for a sharp political dispute over the future of the German military, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz under growing pressure from within his own party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to take a firmer stance on conscription. On August 27, the Cabinet will review the Military Service Modernization Act, a bill designed by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of the SPD to address the Bundeswehr’s persistent personnel shortages without fully reinstating mandatory service.

Under Pistorius’ proposal, all draft-age men would have to register and undergo screening, with only a targeted number called up for service, while women could volunteer. The government’s aim is to add around 5,000 voluntary soldiers annually for terms of up to 23 months. Crucially, mandatory service would only be activated through a separate parliamentary vote, a safeguard strongly supported by the SPD but questioned by Merz’s conservative allies.

Members of the Christian Democratic Union are pushing for a tougher approach. They want the legislation to include a compulsory service year, offering either military service or civilian roles in areas such as healthcare and education. CDU leaders also oppose the bill’s requirement for a parliamentary vote before activating conscription, arguing it undermines deterrence.

“If conscription is only activated in a heightened military crisis, it becomes a reaction tool rather than a deterrent,” said CDU foreign and defense policy lead Norbert Röttgen. He accused Pistorius of focusing solely on voluntarism without clear targets or an automatic trigger for conscription.

This position reflects pressure on Merz to back a more assertive defense policy that secures long-term manpower for the Bundeswehr. CDU figures believe that without binding provisions for mandatory service, the military will struggle to meet its operational needs.

Read more: Germany moves to secure US military presence amid fears of US drawdown

Related News

Majority of Germans doubt Chancellor Merz can revive economy: poll

Merz faces legal firestorm as Germans demand accountability over Gaza

SPD defends voluntary military recruitment model

The SPD maintains that the Bundeswehr is a “parliamentary army", meaning the legislature, not the executive, must decide on introducing compulsory service. SPD lawmaker Andreas Schwarz argued that the voluntary model is more sustainable, saying, “We want people who want to be there. If you begin with compulsion, you create resistance.”

According to Schwarz, attracting volunteers is more likely to produce trained personnel who commit to longer service terms. The goal, he stressed, is to make service appealing enough to meet recruitment targets without mandatory measures.

Dispute over parliamentary control of conscription

At the heart of the debate is whether compulsory service should require parliamentary approval during a crisis. The CDU argues that waiting until an emergency to activate conscription risks losing deterrence and public support. The SPD insists on keeping legislative oversight as a safeguard against overreach.

Behind the scenes, high-level meetings between CDU and SPD representatives have failed to narrow the gap. Pistorius has rejected CDU proposals to remove the parliamentary trigger, defending the bill’s current framework.

With the Cabinet set to review the bill on August 27, time is running short for a compromise. If the dispute is not resolved beforehand, conservatives plan to push amendments during the Bundestag’s legislative process this fall. CDU lawmakers, including Bundestag Defense Committee Chair Thomas Röwekamp, expect changes to be made during parliamentary consultations.

Another possible route is the coalition committee, where top party leaders meet privately to settle contentious issues. While decisions there carry political weight, they still require formal approval from the government or parliament.

Read more: Merz reluctantly defends partial weapons embargo to 'Israel'

  • Germany
  • German Military
  • Friedrich Merz
  • SPD
  • Christian Democratic Union
  • Chancellor Merz

Most Read

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

'Israel’s Digital Iron Dome: Weaponizing the web against Palestine

  • Technology
  • 24 Oct 2025
Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

Arab League chief exposes secret US deal shielding 'Israel’s' nukes

  • Politics
  • 27 Oct 2025
Abu Hamza, the spokesperson for the Al-Quds Brigades, during a speech televised on October 22, 2025 (Al-Quds Brigades Military Media)

Al-Quds Brigades' Abu Hamza mourns leaders, vows continued resistance

  • Politics
  • 22 Oct 2025
US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

US missionary kidnapped in Niger capital, suspected taken toward Mali

  • Africa
  • 23 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Delta Air Lines flight lands at Harry Reid International Airport, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in Las Vegas (AP)
Politics

Nearly 3,800 US flights disrupted amid ongoing government shutdown

FILE - The Amazon logo is pictured at the Amazon Robotic Sorting Fulfillment Center in Madison County, Miss., Aug. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Economy

Amazon to cut 30,000 jobs in largest layoff in company history

Eurofighter Typhoon Spain's Air Force fighter jets fly above the military parade marking 'Día de la Hispanidad', or Hispanic Day, in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP)
Politics

UK sells 20 Eurofighter jets to Türkiye in £8bln defense agreement

Smoke billows after drone strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) targeted the northern port in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, Sudan, May 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

RSF tighten El Fasher siege as Sudan risks fragmentation: Reuters

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS