(de-news.net) – Johann Wadephul, Deputy Chairman of the Union faction in the Bundestag, advocates for a reintroduction of conscription, suspended in 2011, at the start of a new legislative period under a Union-led government. The CDU politician asserted that a growing Bundeswehr is essential for full conventional defense capability, making the reinstatement of conscription one of the new coalition’s initial legislative measures. He proposes a “quota conscription,” where all men and women of a cohort are compulsorily screened, but only a qualified segment is drafted.

Former Military Commissioner Hans-Peter Bartels (SPD) concurred, stating that a new government could no longer avoid mandatory service if volunteerism fails to meet needs. He notes that the Bundeswehr is already undersized compared to NATO commitments – and especially so for a Europe with fewer American soldiers. However, SPD leader Lars Klingbeil opposed the return to conscription, arguing against coercion and advocating for attractive incentives, like the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license through the Bundeswehr.