German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius sees good arguments for a return of general compulsory service, saying these would improve the nation's ability to respond to disasters and strengthen the armed forces and rescue services.
"It could demonstrate how important these institutions are for the functioning of our society," Pistorius told dpa in Berlin.
Pistorius is from the centre-left Social Democrats, the same party as Chancellor Olaf Scholz. His proposals were challenged immediately by one of the other two parties in Germany's governing coalition.
Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, from the pro-business FDP, told dpa that the younger generation had been "overly burdened by the coronavirus pandemic in recent years." He said that meant any discussion concerning the introduction of a general compulsory service was "completely misguided," and questioned whether it was even constitutional.
While conceding that there are many good reasons to serve in the rescue services, in disaster control or in the Bundeswehr, the minister said that millions of people in Germany already serve in these institutions due to their personal beliefs, not because they are forced to do so. He said things should stay that way.
The deputy leader of the FDP, Johannes Vogel, said that introducing compulsory service would "actually get in the way of modernizing our armed forces and the professional Bundeswehr that we need."
Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011 after 55 years under then defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg from the centre-right Christian Democrats. That in effect abolished compulsory military service, or the alternative option, which was work in the social services.
