Overview
- Bundestag military ombudsman Henning Otte urged redesigning the conscription screening as a positive, state-provided health check and “cost-free fitness test.”
- Otte pointed to Sweden’s model, highlighting bright facilities, competent staff, and personal counseling to create a welcoming experience.
- He argued the medical examination could serve broader public-health and preventive-care goals beyond military selection.
- Otte called on the Union and SPD to settle on a reliable compromise quickly, citing high expectations in the armed forces and society.
- Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil said coalition talks on disputed details are on the home stretch, with the mid-October draft expected to change in parliament.