Germany’s plan to reintroduce conscription marks a “remarkable turnaround” after years of complacency and over-reliance on “US protection”, a former German MEP has said.
Hans-Olaf Henkel believes his country’s abrupt volte face has been forced upon it by first ex-US President Donald Trump during his time in office, and then Russian President Vladimir Putin, with his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Proposals currently under consideration could see teenagers – both male and female – aged 18 and over required to do two years of national service
Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius, is thought to be planning to go public with his ideas next month – with Rishi Sunak confirming plans for a similar, albeit non-compulsory, form of national service in this country should the Tories be re-elected on July 4.
Mr Henkel, who is also the former president of the BDI, Germany’s equivalent of the CBI, who has been deeply critical of European commission President Ursula von der Leyen when she held the role currently occupied by Mr Pistorius, was unsurprised by the news.
Referring to the unification of East and West Germany in 1990, he told Express.co.uk: “This is only the latest development in the most remarkable turnaround of German politics after WW2.
“For decades, many German politicians promoted the idea that ‘weapons are the reasons for military conflicts’.
“Once the wall came down in Berlin, they ran down the Bundeswehr further, drastically reducing Army, Navy and Air Force.
“The then-Minister of Defense von Guttenberg, a Member of the very conservative Bavarian Party, CSU, made himself popular by eliminating the compulsury military service, replacing it by a system of an Army based on volunteers.”
As a result, the number of soldiers in the German armed forces shrank to a historically low level, Mr Henkel pointed out.
He continued: “In parallel, the German Government, first under Chancellor Angela Merkel and later under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, spent the money saved for social benefits, climate protection and foreign aid.”
Mr Henkel continued: “Two foreign Heads of Government changed all that, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
“Chancellor Scholz abruptly changed course by declaring a Zeitenwende, (which translates to ‘turn of an era’).
“Of course, it was Putin who shocked most if not all German politicians by invading Ukraine. Ironically, also Trump contributed to the dramatic shift in German politics.
“Before Trump, Germany relied on America’s protection, underspent on the army at the expense of the US. tay payer for decades.”
Most German defence ministers had ignored the NATO commitment to spend at least two percent of GDP on the military budget, Mr Henkel pointed out.
He added: “Instead, German Foreign Ministers and Ministers for Aid to Developing Countries constantly boasted moral leadership through lavish financial support to every corner of the world. (Recently, it became public that Germany finances bycicle roadsn Peru to fight climate change.)
“Today, Germany is by far the largest supplier of military aid in Europe, second only to the US I guess Zeitenwende has the potential to enter the English languages in the same way as kindergarten, angst, zeitgeist, wunderkind or weltschmerz.”
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
