The Inspector General of the German Armed Forces Carsten Bauer appeared open to the possibility of conscription of women, in the event that conscription becomes mandatory. It also warns that conscription on a voluntary basis is not enough to cover staffing shortages.

“At the moment we have a suspended military service, which, according to the Constitution, is exclusively for the male population. But equality should be applied here too,” Mr Bauer told the RND Network and called for a “proper political and social debate”. The head of the Bundeswehr also emphasized that Germany must be ready for war, as it is the central hub of NATO. “In total, we need over 400,000 emergency and professional soldiers, as well as reservists,” he explained and, although he supported the plan presented a few weeks ago by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, he noted that “without mandatory conscription, nothing gets done.

As the Minister of Defense announced, all men and women with a German passport will receive on their 18th birthday an official letter suggesting that they consider basic military service of six months and a possible extension of up to 17 months. The young people will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about their marital status, their interests, their attitudes towards gun use, their academic knowledge and their health status. For women the filling is optional, but it is mandatory for men. According to the German Constitution, if circumstances so require, the government can ask women to serve, but not to take up arms.

Based on the information from the questionnaire, the Ministry of Defense estimates that each year it will identify about 40,000 people suitable for military service, of whom about 10,000 will eventually serve.

Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011, after 55 years.