Amid rising fears of a military confrontation between NATO and Russia, former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has put forth a surprising proposal. The famed ex-head of German diplomacy has advocated for the reinstatement of mandatory military service, and moreover, called for the inclusion of women in the armed forces.
Fischer told “Der Spiegel” magazine that the current number of German army troops is low. He went further, stating that he would even be willing to fight himself, if necessary, to defend his freedom. According to the former German Vice-Chancellor, this also applies to women: “Either we have equality or we don’t,” he said. In a public “mea culpa,” he admitted that, from today’s perspective, his previous stance against mandatory military service had been a mistake.
Germany’s Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, had previously indicated that a return to mandatory military service might be possible under certain conditions. Until now, the government plans to introduce a model initially based on voluntary engagement. The debate has intensified due to NATO’s decisions on new capability targets for member states.
Last week, the alliance approved the largest rearmament program since the Cold War. For Germany, this means up to 60,000 additional soldiers.
