Following a contentious week on the matter, both ruling parties adopted a conciliationist stance in parliament. Germany plans to quadruple the Bundeswehr’s number of servicemen and women in a decade, how to do so is another question.
The first reading of the controversial measure, which aims to reinstate military duty in some capacity, was started by the German Bundestag parliament. It will initially be entirely voluntary, but there are controversial plans to make it mandatory in the future if needed.
Time is running out, and earlier this week, disagreements over the policy plans leaked into the public. The law to modernize the Bundeswehr military is scheduled to take effect in 2026.Following the communications failures of the previous 48 hours, politicians from both government parties—the center-left Social Democrats and the conservative Christian Democrats—sought to show flexibility and a desire to compromise.
Meanwhile, a few members of the German Peace Society, a conscientious objector organization, and Greenpeace held banners outside the parliament denouncing the plans.
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