Guest article by Dr. Joachim Weber on Focus Online about the new military service in Germany Guest article by Dr. Joachim Weber on Focus Online about the new military service in Germany

The commentary sharply criticized the federal government's current reform of compulsory military service, describing it as inadequate in view of the acute security threats facing Europe. In Dr. Weber's view, the new conscription system is unable to recruit the necessary number of soldiers required for effective deterrence, as it currently has a voluntary nature. Therefore, it will be difficult for the federal government to achieve its goal of building up an army with 260,000 soldiers, according to Dr. Weber. The security expert agued that Defense Minister Pistorius had “[...] bowed to the petty demands of lobby groups within and outside the armed forces, but also to his party's left wing.” At the end of the commentary, however, Dr. Weber reminded readers that Chancellor Friedrich Merz bore the greatest responsibility for the failure to introduce a real compulsory military service.