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Kretschmer: Involve people more in the military service debate

Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is calling for more citizen participation in military service. (Archive photo) / Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa
Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) is calling for more citizen participation in military service. (Archive photo) / Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa

In the Prime Minister's view, a citizens' council like the one on nutrition could also be an instrument with regard to the discussion on military service.

Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) wants the population to be more involved in the plans for military service. "The debate is currently being conducted over the heads of young people and their parents," Kretschmer told Der Spiegel. The population must be involved in the question of the form of compulsory military service.

A representative citizens' council could be an instrument for this, according to Kretschmer. Perhaps there is also "a clever way" to enable referendums at federal level.

Union and SPD want new military service model

The coalition agreement reached between the CDU/CSU and SPD at federal level envisages a voluntary military service model. The document states that the conditions for military registration and monitoring should be created this year. Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011.

In the last legislative period, the Bundestag set up a citizens' council for the first time. The 160 randomly selected participants dealt with the topic of "Nutrition in Transition".

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