“I expect a swift clarification from the ministry,” Green defense policy spokesperson Sara Nanni told German broadsheet Welt over the weekend. “Citizens have a right to know … what reporting obligations they have.”
The provision isn’t new and dates back to Germany’s 1956 Cold War-era conscription framework. In practice it has been largely dormant since conscription was suspended in 2011. But the recent military service reform extended the applicability of the rule to peacetime, reviving the forgotten clause and sparking concern about its implications for the freedom of movement of young men.
The country’s conservatives, part of Merz’s governing coalition, have defended the broader intent of the reform while playing down its impact.
“It is not as dramatic as it is sometimes portrayed,” said Thomas Erndl, defense spokesperson for the Christian Democrats. The rule is part of rebuilding Germany’s military registration system and preparing for a potential return to conscription, he told POLITICO, adding that in practice it could amount to little more than a notification requirement.
“A functioning system of military registration is a central component of our security preparedness,” Erndl said. “If we as a society want to stand up for our security, we must create the organizational foundations for that.”
The controversy also reflects a broader European sensitivity around linking mobility to military obligations, including in Ukraine.
Merz has already raised the issue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, warning him that Kyiv must ensure “that young people do not leave for Germany, Poland or France” and stressing that they are “needed” at home for military service.