Next German government to keep military service optional, for now

Germany's incoming coalition government plans to introduce a revamped, and initially voluntary, model for military service, and said it was looking to Sweden for inspiration.

The coalition agreement, reached by senior representatives from the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) on Wednesday, says that a registration scheme is set to be established later this year.

"We are creating a new, attractive form of military service that is initially based on voluntary service. The criteria of attractiveness, meaningfulness and contribution to growth potential are guiding the new design of this service," the text states.

"Appreciation through demanding service, combined with opportunities for qualification, will permanently increase the willingness to perform military service," it adds. "We are basing our approach on the Swedish military service model."

The CDU/CSU and the SPD had disagreed on whether to scrap the current volunteer model, with the conservatives arguing in favour.

Germany suspended mandatory military service for men in 2011, although the proviso remains in the country's constitution. At the time, the German government also ended registration and closed the 52 district military offices that had managed the conscription system.

But the German military is now facing severe personnel shortages, even as the threats from powers such as Russia grow.

Those who do serve are growing older, the German parliament's commissioner for the armed forces, Eva Högl, recently warned.

The military had been eagerly awaiting the next German government's decisions on whether to reintroduce mandatory military service.

Harald Gante, a top lieutenant general in the German Army, told dpa recently that the country's armed forces - known collectively as the Bundeswehr - cannot rely solely on volunteers to fulfil their list of tasks and called for conscripts.