Facing a military crisis, Germany considers reintroducing mandatory service. Is it a solution or an assault on civic freedoms?

Germany did away with mandatory military service in 2011. While speaking with "Welt am Sonntag," Pistorius admitted the impact this decision has had, stating it has led to "severe personnel shortages in the Bundeswehr."

The authorities in Berlin are entertaining various strategies to resolve the issue, one of which includes adopting the Swedish model.

- Sweden reinstituted mandatory conscription in 2017, applicable to both men and women. Despite this, not all conscripts complete basic military service. We are considering a similar approach, Pistorius announced.

The initiative has received a warm response from German military experts. They believe this could be the pivotal solution to the military crisis. However, the FDP party, part of the ruling coalition, argues that this could lead to a "massive assault on civic freedoms," according to "Bild".