Green Party Leader Rejects Mandatory 'Freiheitsdienst' Proposal

Katharina Dröge supports voluntary service and a registration-based model over the Bavarian Green Party's six-month mandatory service plan.

Katharina Dröge, the Green Party's parliamentary leader, has publicly opposed the Bavarian Green Party's 'Freiheitsdienst,' a proposal for mandatory six-month service for all residents aged 18 to 67.
Dröge advocates for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' registration-based model, which mandates young men to declare readiness for military service while offering voluntary participation for women.
She emphasized the need to support voluntary societal engagement through improved frameworks, rejecting coercive measures as unnecessary.
Dröge is open to extending the Pistorius proposal to include women, provided broader gender equality measures are implemented in areas like caregiving responsibilities.
The debate over mandatory service remains unresolved, with the SPD favoring voluntary service and societal discussion, while the Union Party pushes for reinstating conscription.