Germany Aims to Scale Up Military to 260,000 by 2035
Merz Hints at Possible Constitutional Amendment
Left Party Strongly Opposes: "We Will Fight Against It"
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has sparked controversy by suggesting the possibility of conscripting women. The German government is currently discussing reforms to its military service system, including the revival of conscription, as part of its rearmament efforts in response to Russia's military threat.
According to the daily newspaper Bild on September 1 (local time), Chancellor Merz stated in an interview with France's TF1 on August 29, "If voluntary enlistment alone is not sufficient to replenish the military, a system must be established to revert to compulsory service." He added, "The current constitution does not allow women to be subject to military service, but this aspect should also be reconsidered." He indicated that, although there are still many obstacles to overcome and this is only the beginning, there is a possibility of amending the constitution to impose military obligations on women as well.
The German federal government recently held a cabinet meeting and decided to pursue legislation to revise the Military Service Act, which includes a new military service system. The new law would maintain voluntary enlistment but would allow a shift to conscription with parliamentary approval if recruitment falls short of targets or in the event of a national emergency.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany has been considering reinstating conscription, which was abolished in 2011, as part of its rearmament efforts. To counter the Russian threat and build a military capable of waging war, the government aims to increase the Bundeswehr's personnel from the current 182,000 to 260,000 by 2035.
However, simply amending the Military Service Act is not enough to expand conscription to include women. The constitution currently stipulates that "men may be required to serve in the military, federal border guard, or civil defense from the age of 18." To include women in compulsory service, the constitution itself would also need to be amended.
Chancellor Merz's remarks have provoked strong backlash from progressive and left-wing groups in Germany. Desiree Becker of the Left Party stated, "Forcing women to take up arms is not progress, but regression," and declared, "We will fight against compulsory military service for women."
There is also considerable resistance to the overall expansion of military service. On August 27, when the amendment to the Military Service Act passed the cabinet meeting, the anti-war group "Rheinmetall Disarmament Alliance" held a protest in front of a Bundeswehr recruitment office. On August 30, a large rally opposing conscription and rearmament was held in Cologne, drawing about 3,000 participants.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
