Pistorius Defends Conscription Plans,rebuts “Destructive” Accusation from Röttgen
Disagreement over a draft law regarding compulsory military service continues between the Union parties (CDU/CSU) and the SPD,escalating into public accusations of obstruction. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has strongly refuted claims by CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen that he is deliberately undermining the legislative process.
The dispute centers on a compromise proposal developed by negotiators from both sides – including Röttgen, SPD MPs Siemtje Möller and Falko droßmann, and CSU MP Thomas Erndl – which faced internal resistance within the SPD. A key point of contention was the potential for a draft lottery to ensure sufficient participation if volunteer numbers fall short. Pistorius has emphasized the principle of voluntariness. He also proposed a mandatory muster for all young men – up to 300,000 annually - to assess thier suitability for service, preparing for a potential reinstatement of general conscription and minimizing legal challenges.
Röttgen sharply criticized Pistorius’s actions, stating to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), “In over 30 years of membership in the German Bundestag, I have never seen a federal minister frontally torpedo an important legislative process in his own area of responsibility and plunge his own parliamentary group into chaos.” He further accused Pistorius of behaving “destructively” in the Editorial Network Germany. “The SPD has to sort itself out now,” Röttgen added.
Pistorius responded to the accusations, telling the Tagesspiegel, “I’m not torpedoing, and I’m not destructive either.” He explained his concerns stemmed from changes made to the bill before its official introduction to the Bundestag, specifically regarding “extensive testing from 2027, which is not included in the current compromise” and the potential loss of time if the military is required to re-advertise to randomly selected young men. He stated he had voiced these concerns previously.
A planned joint press conference to announce a resolution was cancelled at short notice, and the future of the bill’s first reading in the Bundestag - currently scheduled for Thursday – remains uncertain. Bild newspaper reported the military service law would be removed from the parliamentary agenda this week,though Parliament officials stated no final decision had been made. The bill was originally slated for its first reading last week.