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2h ago

First Reading of Wehrdienst Reform Delayed One Week After Union Pushback

Pistorius calls the slowdown negligent as CDU/CSU demand a defined recruitment growth path and clearer triggers to reinstate conscription.

Boris Pistorius
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Bundesverteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius (SPD) hat die Union scharf für ihre Blockade seines Wehrdienstgesetzes kritisiert. Das Verhalten der Unionsfraktion sei "fahrlässig", sagte der SPD-Politiker dem "Handelsblatt".
Die CDU/CSU-Regierungsfraktion stoppt die Beratung im Bundestag zum geplanten neuen Gesetz für einen attraktiveren Wehrdienst. (Symbolbild)

Overview

  • Coalition spokespeople said the Bundestag will open debate on the Wehrdienst bill in the week after next, shifting from the originally planned first reading this Thursday.
  • Defence Minister Boris Pistorius criticized the postponement as negligent, warning it could delay the reintroduction of nationwide registration for service eligibility.
  • The cabinet-backed draft relies initially on voluntary service with new questionnaires for 18-year-olds and plans for medical screening, while allowing compulsory elements later without an automatic numeric trigger.
  • CDU/CSU leaders want binding targets for Bundeswehr growth and explicit rules for when compulsory service would kick in, with figures such as Markus Söder deriding the proposal as a “Wischiwaschi-Wehrpflicht.”
  • The reform is intended to help meet NATO-driven personnel goals of roughly 260,000 active soldiers and about 200,000 reservists, as Union figures cite recent airspace incidents to press for tougher provisions.