The German Ministry of Defense is preparing a draft law by which army reservists could be mobilized to perform various tasks, beyond the usual military exercises, even in peacetime, a plan that has provoked criticism from employers, informs EFE, taken over by Agerpres.
“We want reservists to perform their duty regularly and seriously,” ministry spokeswoman Natalie Jenning told a news conference in Berlin.
“From a security policy perspective, current requirements require us to move away from what is known as dual volunteering,” she elaborated, referring to the principle in force until now that both the reservist himself and his employer must consent to active duty.
However, if the draft law enters into force, the employer could request the postponement of the mobilization of the reservist, for example, if a certain employee is “completely indispensable”, the same spokeswoman emphasized.
Berlin waives a controversial clause
Jenning was also asked about the controversial clause in the new military service law that came into force this year, according to which all men of military age should, in theory, seek permission from the Ministry of Defense before leaving Germany for more than three months, even in peacetime.
The spokeswoman admitted that it was “an error” and “an incorrectness” that the Ministry of Defense intends to correct through the draft law on reservists, which will repeal this obligation that was never put into practice.
“We used the fastest way to provide legal certainty in this legislative process and to eliminate any lack of clarity,” she assured.
Currently, the German Armed Forces have approximately 185,000 soldiers on active duty and approximately 60,000 reservists, which Defense Minister Boris Pistorius wants to increase to 260,000 and 200,000, respectively, by 2033.
According to the ministry's draft law, it is envisaged that all citizens who have performed military service in the Armed Forces will be called to participate in two-week military exercises, once a year or once every two years, on a mandatory basis.
The Employers' Association (BDA) has already rejected these plans, emphasizing the needs of businesses, which need “planning capacity and legal transparency”. “The principle of double volunteering has proven to be a solid model for harmonizing the interests of the Bundeswehr and the economy,” said the president of the employer, Rainer Dulger, in an interview given to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper on Sunday.
