(pp) – The federal government re-enacts mandatory military service. This move shortly follows the call of the “Bundeswehr” to standby. Activists voice their concerns that the government might be planning a larger military intervention in- or outside the country. Minister of interior Horst Seehofer just recently had denied such plans and claimed putting the army into standby was “completely normal”.
However, we will see if enacting mandatory military service will be perceived as normal by the German people. While internationally, mandatory mlitary service is nothing special, former German minister of defense Karl-Theodor zu Gutenberg “suspended” it in 2011. Although the legal framework is still in place, it is not being made use of.
Back in 2011, this step was perceived positively in large parts of the German population. In fact, after the re-enactment was made public, the approval rate of the federal government has dropped to 35%.
The German minister of defence, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed her sympathy with “the young men who are concerned” in an exclusive interview with the Wire. “But we can assure them, that this is necessary for the security of their families. We are sure to have taken the right decision and it was undisputed in the cabinet”, she continued. She did not want to comment, however, if there are specific plans for a military intervention. “In crisis situations, heavy measures have to be taken”, she explained.