File photo

 

Germany's cabinet has approved a draft bill for voluntary military service, potentially paving the way for future conscription. This move aims to strengthen defence capabilities amid escalating tensions with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.

 

Military conscription ended in Germany in 2011, but current Chancellor Friedrich Merz is prioritising military enhancementss to counter perceived threats from Russia. He remarked, "We want to be able to defend ourselves so that we don't have to defend ourselves."

 

The proposal follows US President Donald Trump's calls for European nations to boost their own defences. Under Merz's leadership, Germany's coalition government has eased borrowing limits to significantly increase defence spending, targeting 3.5% of economic output over the next four years.

 

Defence Minister Boris Pistorius plans to raise the number of active soldiers from 182,000 to 260,000 in the early 2030s to meet NATO targets. The goal is to also increase reservists to 200,000. An online questionnaire will be sent to all 18-year-old Germans, asking their willingness to volunteer for service. Men are required to respond, while for women it remains optional, reported the BBC.

 

Quentin Gärtner, the 18-year-old leader of the Federal Pupils' Conference, emphasised the importance of including youth in decision-making: "We can only do our part and take responsibility for our society when we are included." He noted that the Defence Ministry has yet to consult with young people.

 

The government has reiterated that military service will remain voluntary for as long as feasible. If security concerns escalate or volunteer numbers drop, the Bundestag may consider compulsory service.

 

Pistorius expressed confidence in attracting recruits through appealing pay and service conditions. The Bundeswehr has seen a promising 28% increase in new recruits in the first half of the year.

 

Some Social Democrats expressed concerns, suggesting that making the Bundeswehr a more appealing employer is preferable to reintroducing conscription. Conservative members fear that requiring Bundestag approval for conscription could delay decisions.

 

Critics like Johannes Angermann argue conscription could unnecessarily burden the youth and advocate for a stronger professional army. The anti-war group Rheinmetall Entwaffnen voiced opposition, criticising military investments while social infrastructure faces cuts.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-08-28

 

 

I'm sure all the new immigrants to Germany will be more than happy to fight for their new country.

 

After all, they came to give, not to take. 

 

It will be useful to have some engineers, doctors and surgeons of fighting age in the ranks. 

Germany is ruining it's economy even without the war as they are paying for most of the broke nations of eastern europe.

 

Not to mention now the billions spent for Ukraine, for Nato and so on. Bruxelles is plainly destroying Europe and the EU is definately going to split fully. The point is not if the UE will split...it's when ? 

 

Germany was also very foolish to have played the ball game with Biden and apply the absurd American sanctions against the highly cheap russian oil. 

 

Ask anybody on the street of any major european capital what they think of their woke governance and what they think of the rulers of the European Union in Brussels. Their answer will give a clear scope on the highly possible break up and split of the EU. 

You cannot prevent a country keeping quiet after it has been forcefully prohibited to opinionated its goals since 1945.

Only once the Germans can call for a referendum, only once all that post-second-world-war limitations are lifted (it is only 80 years ago), only then you get clarity of what the Germans really want. So far it is to follow political correctness, run by most corrupt self-profiling incompetent goons with a more than well compensated inferiority complex. 

I am not German but I am absolutely appalled by what has happened within Germany over the last, say, 20 years. Self-destruction for the benefit of what, who and why? 

It is the time for Germany and Japan. 
Tomorrow will be too late. 

...Treat Your Population Like Sh*t... (?)

 

...Now Push Them To Go Fight Someone Else's War... (?)

 

...How About Enlisting The Illegals Out Of The 4-5-Star Hotels... (?)

 

...What Has Become Of This World... (?)

 

...And This Is How Germany Will Redeem Itself... (?) 

...And Downplay Its Historical War Legacy'...(?)

 

 

They certainly seem hell bent on having WWIII  

4 hours ago, johng said:

They certainly seem hell bent on having WWIII  

I dono I’d think it’s Putin creating the tension,that being said I’d certainly prefer having Germany and japan as my ally especially in light of their present day democratic values.

Here we go again with the German Empire casting it's eyes Eastward while claiming the may need to invade in order to protect themselves from "Russian Aggression."  Third time's a charm?  I doubt it.  

8 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

You cannot prevent a country keeping quiet after it has been forcefully prohibited to opinionated its goals since 1945.

Could say the same about post-WWI Germany, and see where that led.  'Eh? 

Europe is squandering trillions over to Ukraine at the expense of the populations in their own countries. That the point to consider IMHO. The current concept and politics of the European Union are creating more and more uprising and oublic outroar all over western europe. Doubt if the EU under it's current model and governance,  will survive more then the next decade. 

20 minutes ago, connda said:

Here we go again with the German Empire casting it's eyes Eastward while claiming the may need to invade in order to protect themselves from "Russian Aggression."  Third time's a charm?  I doubt it.  

Ahhh I think you are a bit mixed up this time around it’s Putin almost verbatim using the excuse hitler used for the annexation of the Sudetenland in 39 the shoe is on the other foot this time around im afraid.

On 8/28/2025 at 3:01 AM, Sigmund said:

Germany is ruining it's economy even without the war as they are paying for most of the broke nations of eastern europe.

 

Not to mention now the billions spent for Ukraine, for Nato and so on. Bruxelles is plainly destroying Europe and the EU is definately going to split fully. The point is not if the UE will split...it's when ? 

 

Germany was also very foolish to have played the ball game with Biden and apply the absurd American sanctions against the highly cheap russian oil. 

 

Ask anybody on the street of any major european capital what they think of their woke governance and what they think of the rulers of the European Union in Brussels. Their answer will give a clear scope on the highly possible break up and split of the EU. 

 

There is very little evidence to support your claims

 

While there may be many anti-EU parties, the overwhelming majority of governments of the member states are pro-EU. Moreover, although public support for the anti-EU parties might be growing, polls still show close to 60% support among the public for the EU:

 

There is nothing inevitable about the EU's demise.

41 minutes ago, Middle Aged Grouch said:

Europe is squandering trillions over to Ukraine at the expense of the populations in their own countries. That the point to consider IMHO. The current concept and politics of the European Union are creating more and more uprising and oublic outroar all over western europe. Doubt if the EU under it's current model and governance,  will survive more then the next decade. 

The current model and governance certainly has flaws. In particular as there is nearly no industrial policy. It's a shame that the Draghi report has been buried. However, in this emerging world of autocratic bullies, smaller entities are likely to be even more squeezed between the U.S., Russia and China.

 

As to Ukraine, a strong Ukraine is the best defense against Russia. It has the largest and most skilled army in Europe (apart from Russia). Putin won't attack any NATO country as long as he knows that it will be followed by a Ukrainian attack on another flank, this time with full NATO air support.

On 8/28/2025 at 2:51 AM, JonnyF said:

I'm sure all the new immigrants to Germany will be more than happy to fight for their new country.

 

After all, they came to give, not to take. 

 

It will be useful to have some engineers, doctors and surgeons of fighting age in the ranks. 

 

Not just that, but I doubt more than 50% of Germans will be keen to fight and serve for Germany. Like the US, Germany is split down the middle between leftists and conservatives and the leftists are particularly antii-German.

 

10 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

You cannot prevent a country keeping quiet after it has been forcefully prohibited to opinionated its goals since 1945.

Only once the Germans can call for a referendum, only once all that post-second-world-war limitations are lifted (it is only 80 years ago), only then you get clarity of what the Germans really want. So far it is to follow political correctness, run by most corrupt self-profiling incompetent goons with a more than well compensated inferiority complex. 

I am not German but I am absolutely appalled by what has happened within Germany over the last, say, 20 years. Self-destruction for the benefit of what, who and why? 

 

Spot on. German taxpayers were not just exploited to pay for the entire rebuilding of Eastern Europe via EU taxation for the benefit of Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Baltics, Romania etc., but even before that the Jewish material claims conference took  90 billion USD from the German tax payer.

 

The Germans have been used and abused for decades and not just by the Eastern Europeans. Israel was built with billions of German taxpayer money.

17 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Not just that, but I doubt more than 50% of Germans will be keen to fight and serve for Germany. Like the US, Germany is split down the middle between leftists and conservatives and the leftists are particularly antii-German.

 

 

Spot on. German taxpayers were not just exploited to pay for the entire rebuilding of Eastern Europe via EU taxation for the benefit of Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Baltics, Romania etc., but even before that the Jewish material claims conference took  90 billion USD from the German tax payer.

 

The Germans have been used and abused for decades and not just by the Eastern Europeans. Israel was built with billions of German taxpayer money.

Main problem: The European i-phone generation will not fight against nobody. Nor voluntary nor by "coscription". They will stay home as long as they can electrically re-charge their i-phones and can actively participate on "social media".

There are no soldiers left in Europe with "conviction".

 

PS: To declare the state of Israel by Ben Gurion, it would not have been possible without the liberal financial contributions by the 11 million jewish people residing in the US at that time. Nothing wrong with that, I guess.

I guess the reason why German  politicians extracted these billions from the German taxpayer for the benefit of other countries, is the same as elsewhere, corruption. From a young age promising German politicians are recruited to the Atlantik Bruecke, a body that fosters American and German politician ties, and other similar organizations no doubt offer ample recompense to German politicians who are willing to co-operate in achieving the financial goals of third parties, which are after all cloaked in high sounding ideallist packaging "Develop the East" "Atone for Nazism" etc.

 

How else can one explain Jens Spahn and his husband buying  a villa worth several millions as a private residence, when German politician salaries are hardly impressive.

 

Clearly these politicians are well compensated in many ways. And they know who they have to please to get the big payday.. It ain't their German compatriots.

4 hours ago, Cameroni said:

I guess the reason why German  politicians extracted these billions from the German taxpayer for the benefit of other countries, is the same as elsewhere, corruption. From a young age promising German politicians are recruited to the Atlantik Bruecke, a body that fosters American and German politician ties, and other similar organizations no doubt offer ample recompense to German politicians who are willing to co-operate in achieving the financial goals of third parties, which are after all cloaked in high sounding ideallist packaging "Develop the East" "Atone for Nazism" etc.

 

How else can one explain Jens Spahn and his husband buying  a villa worth several millions as a private residence, when German politician salaries are hardly impressive.

 

Clearly these politicians are well compensated in many ways. And they know who they have to please to get the big payday.. It ain't their German compatriots.

More conspiracy theory.

 

The truth is that those Eastern European countries are key to the competitiveness of German firms. They also allow a lower dependence on China.

https://personal-aus-osteuropa.de/en/portfolio/outsourcing-eastern-europe-relocation-of-production/

Don`t worry. WWIII is not going to happen. Vlad can always call his friend Donald, and he will calm down all the troublemakers in Germany or any other EU county. It always works this way.

7 hours ago, zmisha said:

Vlad can always call his friend Donald, and he will calm down all the troublemakers in Germany or any other EU county. It always works this way.

 

Hey buddy just because you are a pro Russia Z doesn't give you the right to steal spidermike's pro-Putin talking points!

4 hours ago, Oliver Holzerfilled said:

 

Hey buddy just because you are a pro Russia Z doesn't give you the right to steal spidermike's pro-Putin talking points!

Someday these guys will understand that the reason is not the betrayal of their president, but that they were lied to about Russia's nuclear weapons being useless in this war.

On 8/29/2025 at 7:33 AM, SOTIRIOS said:

 

...How About Enlisting The Illegals Out Of The 4-5-Star Hotels... (?)

Because they would likely join the enemy. They have ZERO respect and love for their new country. I'm staggered by the stupidity of European leaders talking about conscription after intentionally destroying their nation and replacing the population. 

On the other hand, if Germany were not more militarily prepared, people would be asking why they were not prepared when everyone could see Putin would not be stopped by Ukraine. 

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.