Overview
- Matthias Miersch endorsed using a lottery as a contingency in the new service law, saying chance selection is fairer than rankings by fitness or intelligence.
- The government is working toward a Wehrdienstgesetz taking effect on January 1, with service initially based on voluntariness after a first reading in the Bundestag last week.
- Specialists from SPD and the Union proposed drawing lots to summon young men for medical screening and, if necessary, to fill compulsory slots if volunteers prove insufficient.
- Defence Minister Boris Pistorius rejected the compromise in an SPD meeting, reportedly warning his draft would be “mutilated,” and he has pushed for broader cohort examinations.
- Internal discord led to a planned joint press conference being canceled, while Miersch stressed incentives such as a driver’s license and pay of more than €2,000 net to attract volunteers and said Parliament must decide any fallback steps.