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Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Conscription, once buried, returns to the debate at a turning point in Germany's defence arrangement
Apart from efforts to attract volunteers, the idea of reinstating conscription – suspended in 2011 – is now in the spotlight. PHOTO: SERGEY PONOMAREV/NYTIMES Conscription, once buried, returns to the debate at a turning point in Germany's defence arrangement – The Bundeswehr seems to be everywhere in Germany these days – on posters, sandwich wrappers, in television adverts and across social media. The German military sends personalised postcards to hundreds of thousands of 16 and 17-year-olds and promises 'exclusive experiences' and 'up-close impressions' at open days aimed at enticing them to sign on. Since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in what Germany calls its Zeitenwende – a historic turning point – the military has launched a major image campaign. The reason is simple: Far too few young Germans are volunteering for service. Apart from efforts to attract volunteers, the idea of reinstating conscription – suspended in 2011 – is now in the spotlight at a time when the German military budget is set to rise significantly in the coming years. At its recent summit, Nato acceded to US President Donald Trump's demand that European allies vastly increase defence spending to 5 per cent of their respective gross domestic product (GDP) from the erstwhile 2 per cent expectation. Seen as a Cold War relic at the time, Germany's conscription system was suspended in the wake of professionalisation trends across Nato and a waning perception of immediate military threat, particularly from Russia. The Bundeswehr was streamlined, and defence policy pivoted towards international missions and soft power. By the time of its suspension, mandatory service had already been reduced to just six months and applied to only a fraction of eligible recruits. Questions about both the duration and fairness of the draft process undermined its legitimacy, leading to its indefinite suspension. Things changed, however, when Moscow annexed Crimea and occupied the Donbas in eastern Ukraine in 2014 and then unleashed a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Russia is now again a security threat, with the German military short of funds, arms and troops. Moreover, the US, with Mr Trump's appeasement approach towards Russian President Vladimir Putin, is no longer a reliable ally. Germany has committed the funds towards beefing up its military but needs to address the shortage of fighting men. 'We need conscription again,' said Lieutenant-General Alfons Mais, Germany's army chief, at the Munich Security Conference in February. 'Our goals can't be achieved otherwise.' One of those goals, set by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, is for the Bundeswehr to grow to 260,000 troops from the current 182,000 within a decade, ready for high-intensity warfare. This would bring the Bundeswehr to around its strength at the turn of the 21st century, when it had about 250,000 troops, but still short of the more than 500,000 at the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s. Mr Pistorius is currently banking on a revamped voluntary service model to reverse the Bundeswehr's recruitment shortfall. Under the new initiative, set to begin in the latter half of 2025, all 18-year-old men will receive a questionnaire to assess their willingness and fitness for military service. Those who express interest may be called in for further screening, with the goal of gradually increasing the number of full-time soldiers and reservists. The programme offers several incentives: Recruits can earn a monthly base salary starting at around € 1,800 (S$2,700), receive free accommodation, healthcare and training, and are given pathways to civilian careers within the Bundeswehr system. However, Mr Pistorius has made it clear that if the voluntary route fails to meet Germany's ambitious personnel goals, he will not hesitate to push for a return to mandatory conscription. 'If we don't succeed voluntarily, we will have to consider other steps,' he warned at an interview in May, signalling a significant cultural shift in Germany's post-Cold War defence policy. Germany projects that its defence expenditure would more than double from € 62.4 billion in 2025 to € 152.8 billion by 2029. Of the eventual 5 per cent of its GDP invested in defence, Chancellor Friedrich Merz aims to spend 1.5 per cent on dual-use infrastructure and 3.5 per cent directly on the Bundeswehr. To unlock this funding, the new German government had pushed through a constitutional amendment enabling significant new borrowing – underscoring the urgency and importance of this policy change. Dissent among politicians Against the backdrop of the broader debate on national defence, it is perhaps of little surprise that many observers are rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Is it really Germany – of all countries, the one responsible for two world wars in the last century – that is now setting out to build one of the most powerful armies in Europe once again? A group of Social Democrats led by former parliamentary leader Rolf Mutzenich recently published a paper protesting against the massive increase in defence spending, while rejecting the stationing of US long-range weapons on German soil. They also called for a renewed policy of cooperation with Russia, harking back to the generally cooperative relations between Germany and Russia in the two decades after the Cold War. The Social Democratic Party is part of the current ruling coalition led by Mr Merz's Christian Democratic Union. 'This paper is a denial of reality. It exploits the people's understandable desire for an end to the terrible war in Ukraine,' Mr Pistorius, himself a Social Democrat, said in June in an interview with the German Press Agency. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is perceived by most European states as an existential threat. 2022 pushed the German political class – and much of Europe's as well – into making a long-overdue U-turn, expanding defence spending to rebuild the long-neglected armed forces of Europe's largest economy. That rebuilding will not be easy. Speaking shortly after Mr Putin's Ukraine invasion began, Lt-Gen Mais had said the Bundeswehr stood 'more or less bare' after years of austerity and had only limited options in the face of Russia. That reality, he confirmed at February's Munich Security Conference, has not fundamentally changed. 'We're not in a good place,' he added. 'We're suffering from the loss of equipment sent to Ukraine and from painfully slow structural reform.' Challenges of rapid change To now quickly scale up the army and increase troop numbers would require new infrastructure. This is because dozens of military bases have closed, with barracks turned into residential housing. All 52 local conscription offices were shut down in 2012 – replaced by slimmed-down career centres and advisory hubs tailored to the reduced ambition. Mr Paul Wohlfahrt, 27, a reservist in the mountain infantry, is sceptical of such rapid German military expansion plans. 'Before we even talk about conscription, we need the infrastructure in place,' he told The Straits Times. 'Even now, not every soldier has a bed or a room – many go home to sleep. So where are we going to house new recruits?' He claims that numerous applicants have already been turned away due to a lack of capacity. While the Bundeswehr is tight-lipped about such claims, there are a number of reports on this, including one from public service broadcaster ZDF quoting internal papers of the reservists' association as saying that it is 'critical of the fact that interested reservists are now being put off for so long'. Mr Wohlfahrt completed his service in 2016/17 and has regularly taken part in reserve exercises since. He believes making voluntary service more attractive would be a better path than reintroducing conscription. 'If I have to wait six to twelve months for a response after applying, I'll just take a job in the private sector,' he said. Mass deficit But increasing troop numbers is only one part of the challenge. The Bundeswehr must also decide what kind of force it wants to be: a territorial army capable of defending Germany from attack, a high-tech military focused on drones and cyber warfare – or both. 'Only what is physically present in Central and Eastern Europe can deter an enemy,' Mr Hans-Peter Bartels, a former parliamentary commissioner for the German armed forces, said earlier in 2025, referring to the importance of having tanks and troops on the ground. 'Germany has to provide mass. And right now, that's missing.' His remarks underscore the urgency of building not just capability, but also visible presence – boots on the ground, tanks in the field. To ramp up production of military equipment and weapons, Germany's defence companies seeking to increase capacity are looking to cooperate with the country's languishing car industry. German army recruiters set up a tent and an armoured vehicle at a go-kart race in Germany on May 25. PHOTO: SERGEY PONOMAREV/NYTIMES It was reported in March that Rheinmetall, Germany's largest arms producer, was repurposing two plants making automotive parts to manufacture defence equipment. In early 2025, Hensoldt, a radar and sensor specialist, took over some workers from Continental when the car parts maker closed one of its plants in the town of Wetzlar. Recently, Germany's largest carmaker Volkswagen signalled that it would be ready to offer industrial expertise and strategic consultancy to support military vehicle manufacturers. The nuclear question There is also the issue of nuclear deterrence, given that Russia is a nuclear-armed power. Germany's and Europe's security situation has become more precarious because Mr Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on whether America would honour Nato's collective defence clause – Article 5 – in the event of an attack. His appeasement approach towards Mr Putin, along with America's ambiguous stance on Ukraine , has sowed further doubt. So what would European security look like without the US and without the American nuclear umbrella? While Britain has explicitly placed its nuclear forces at Nato's disposal, France has deliberately kept its nuclear forces, the so-called 'Force de Frappe', under national command and not part of Nato's nuclear planning group. But even if France were willing, would its stockpile of roughly 300 warheads suffice as credible deterrence? Within Germany, public sentiment has shifted noticeably since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While pacifist instincts remain strong among many Germans, recent polls indicate growing support for national defence efforts. A YouGov/dpa survey from 2024 showed that more than half of the population favours reintroducing some form of conscription, particularly among older Germans , although support remains lower among the 18-29 age group. Nevertheless, the war has left a mark on younger Germans as well: There is a visible uptick in interest in defence-sector careers, especially in technical and logistical roles. Companies like Rheinmetall and Airbus Defence report increased applications, and more young professionals view work in security-related fields as both meaningful and future-oriented. Mr Wohlfahrt believes that there is a rising sense of urgency among Germans that having an operational defence is of the essence. 'Step by step, soldiers are realising that change is under way. It may be slow, but at least something is happening,' he said. Markus Ziener is a professor at Media University Berlin and writes on political and security issues. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
California's Gavin Newsom sues Fox News for $1b for defamation over Trump call
California Governor Gavin Newsom says he will drop the lawsuit if Fox issues a retraction and host Jesse Watters apologises for calling him a liar on air. PHOTO: NYTIMES California's Gavin Newsom sues Fox News for $1b for defamation over Trump call WASHINGTON - California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a US$787 million (S$1 billion) defamation lawsuit against Fox News on June 27, saying the network defamed him in covering his phone call with Donald Trump related to the president's immigration crackdown. The complaint filed in Delaware Superior Court accused Fox of demonstrating 'willingness to protect President Trump from his own false statements by smearing his political opponent Governor Newsom in a dispute over when the two last spoke during a period of national strife.' Mr Newsom's punitive damages request is nearly identical to the US$787.5 million that Fox paid in 2023 to settle Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit over alleged vote-rigging in the 2020 US presidential election. According to the New York Times, Mr Newsom would drop the lawsuit if Fox issued a retraction and host Jesse Watters apologised on-air for saying the governor lied about his call with Mr Trump. Fox did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr Newsom's office did not immediately respond to similar requests. The governor is also seeking unspecified compensatory damages for allegedly smearing his reputation. Mr Newsom is a Democrat and potential presidential contender in 2028, and has made several appearances on Fox News. The network is a favourite of conservatives, and its on-air talent includes many supporters of Mr Trump, a Republican. 'Why would Newsom lie?' According to the complaint, Mr Newsom spoke by phone with Mr Trump late on June 6 - early June 7, Eastern Daylight Time - soon after protests broke out in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids. Mr Trump later sent National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the state, bypassing the governor. Mr Newsom said he did not speak again with Mr Trump, and confirmed this after Mr Trump falsely told reporters on June 10 that he had spoken with the governor 'a day ago.' The complaint said Fox nonetheless made a misleading video clip and multiple false statements about the timing of the last call, acting with actual malice in an effort to brand Mr Newsom a liar and curry favour with Mr Trump. 'Why would Newsom lie and claim Trump never called him?' host Mr Watters said on June 10, on his show 'Jesse Watters Primetime,' according to the complaint. Mr Watters' report was accompanied by a chyron, a banner caption along the bottom of a TV screen, that said 'Gavin Lied About Trump's Call,' the complaint added. According to the complaint, Fox's claim that Mr Newsom lied was 'calculated to provoke outrage and cause Governor Newsom significant harm,' by making people less likely to support his causes, donate to his campaigns, or vote for him in elections. Trump's defamation lawsuits To prevail in the lawsuit, Mr Newsom would have to show Fox acted with actual malice, meaning it knew its statements were false or had reckless disregard for their truth. The standard comes from New York Times versus Sullivan, a landmark 1964 US Supreme Court decision. Mr Trump has also turned to the courts to address perceived defamation by news networks. He reached a US$15 million settlement with Walt Disney-owned ABC in December 2024 after suing over an inaccurate claim that a jury found him liable for rape, rather than sexual assault, in a civil lawsuit. Mr Trump also sued CBS for US$20 billion over its editing of a '60 Minutes' interview with 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. A mediator has reportedly proposed a US$20 million settlement with CBS' parent Paramount Global. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
All of Nato, including US, ‘totally committed' to keeping Ukraine in fight, Rutte says
Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte (left) and US President Donald Trump at the Nato summit in the Netherlands on June 25. PHOTO: NYTIMES All of Nato, including US, 'totally committed' to keeping Ukraine in fight, Rutte says THE HAGUE - The whole of Nato, including the United States, is 'totally committed' to keeping Ukraine in the fight against Russia's invasion, alliance secretary-general Mark Rutte told Reuters in an interview on June 25. Speaking at the end of a summit of Nato leaders in The Hague, Mr Rutte also said nobody in Nato was naive about Russia and all alliance members 'have more or less the same assessment' of Moscow. US President Donald Trump's more conciliatory stance towards Russia in his efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine has prompted questions about US commitments to Kyiv. 'The whole of Nato, including the United States, is totally committed to keep Ukraine in the fight, to make sure that if there is a peace deal, that peace deal - or the ceasefire - will be lasting, will be durable,' Mr Rutte said. He said the clear direction of travel was that Europeans would be responsible for more of the military aid to Ukraine. But he said the US would still be 'very much involved with intelligence-sharing, with also practical military support' including potentially air defence systems. 'I think there will still be a huge, big American involvement,' Mr Rutte said. The Trump administration has also told Europeans that they must take over primary responsibility for their own security, rather than relying on the US through Nato. Mr Rutte said this process would be possible as Europeans had committed to spending more on defence, and it would be 'well-organised' to avoid any gaps that Russia could exploit. 'I've had these discussions in Washington over the last couple of months,' he said. 'For years, the US has said 'we have to pivot more towards Asia'. Now that the Europeans are stepping up, that also makes it possible,' he said. 'You will see that what the US is delivering to Nato in terms of capabilities will gradually come down. But there's also total clarity from the US that they don't want any capability gaps to emerge in Europe,' Mr Rutte said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Indonesia still on alert despite Iran-Israel ceasefire
Despite no casualties from Iran's attack, airspace in the region was closed for a few hours on June 24 PHOTO: ARASH KHAMOOSHI/NYTIMES Follow our live coverage here. JAKARTA - Fears of an escalation in the conflict between Iran and Israel persist despite claims of a ceasefire between the two countries, with the Indonesian government expediting contingency planning as it finishes its first round of the evacuation of Indonesian nationals from the affected region. Hours before Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire, Iran fired missiles at the Al Udeid air force base in Doha, Qatar on June 23 as a retaliation against the United States' bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities. The attack did not result in any casualties, as Iran had warned Qatar prior to the attack, as reported by Reuters. Despite no casualties from Iran's attack, airspace in the region was closed for a few hours on June 24, including that over Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, with a slew of airlines canceling their flights to the region, AFP reported. Among the flights affected was the one by Qatar Airways booked for at least 29 Indonesian nationals, the first batch of evacuees from Iran who fled the country through a 16-hour land trip to neighboring Azerbaijan. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry told reporters on June 24 that the evacuees would instead return to Jakarta on a Turkish Airlines flight, arriving more than two hours later than the initial schedule at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten. The ministry went on to say that it continued to 'monitor from a close range the escalation in the conflict between Israel, the US and Iran'. 'The ministry appeals to its citizens currently in the Middle East to increase their vigilance [and] avoid locations hosting assets of conflicting nations,' said the Indonesian ministry's citizen protection director Judha Nugraha in a statement. Prepare for the worst The renewed appeal for heightened alertness came despite US President Donald Trump's announcement that he had successfully negotiated a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. But less than 12 hours after the announcement, both countries threw accusations at each other that they had violated the deal and continued attacking each other beyond the agreed time the ceasefire was meant to start. All Indonesian representatives and embassies in Middle Eastern countries continue to be on high alert and on standby despite the ceasefire announcement in anticipation of any possible further escalation in the region, said Indonesia's Foreign Ministry director for Middle Eastern affairs Ahrul Tsani. 'Our representatives continue to monitor and remain responsive to any developments occurring, especially those in countries with US military bases,' Mr Ahrul told The Jakarta Post on June 24, listing countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Iraq. Several Indonesian embassies in the listed high-alert countries have also begun circulating alert notices to citizens outlining responses to possible escalations, including calls to start packing important documents such as passports and employment contracts. Close call As officials call for calm amid the rising tensions, the Indonesian diaspora in the Middle East has been unnerved by the recent attacks. Mr Achmad, 42, was working in a restaurant in Doha when he suddenly felt the reverberation from an explosion at the Al Udeid base, located only about 30 minutes' drive from the Qatari capital. Panicking restaurant guests fled the restaurant after the explosion was felt. Qatari officials tried to calm down people by telling them not to panic or escalate things, said Mr Achmad. 'But I'm honestly worried. I saw with my own two eyes a missile being intercepted. I can't even describe the sound it created,' Mr Achmad told the Post on June 24. 'I'm just letting things be for now. I'm still breathing and standing. I just hope that there won't be any second wave of attacks. I won't know what to do in that case,' he said, explaining that he would lose his job in Doha if he were to be evacuated back to Indonesia. Indonesia's Foreign Ministry previously said that all evacuations of Indonesians from Iran and Israel would be voluntary rather than mandatory. The government has not issued any official diplomatic statement on the Iran-Israel conflict following Washington's decision to intervene on June 22, although its senior security ministry has called for all parties to return to the negotiating table. On June 22, Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto held a meeting with several ministers, including Jndonesia's Foreign Minister Sugiono, in his private residence in Hambalang, Bogor regency, West Java. The discussions revolved primarily around 'the dynamics of current global conditions and its effects on Indonesia's national interests', the State Secretariat wrote in a statement. The officials also discussed preparations for 'strategic steps' to protect national interests during the closed-door talks. THE JAKARTA POST/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert ‘legitimate rights'
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian waving as he leaves a protest, following attacks by the US on Iranian nuclear sites. PHOTO: NYTIMES Iran says not seeking nuclear weapons but will assert 'legitimate rights' TEHRAN - Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on June 24 that his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but would continue to defend its 'legitimate rights' in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. As a fragile ceasefire with Israel took hold after 12 days of fighting that also included US strikes, Mr Pezeshkian told his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates that the two countries 'cannot impose unjust aspirations by force'. 'We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights,' Mr Pezeshkian said, during a call with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed. 'It has never sought to acquire nuclear weapons and does not seek them,' he was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency, adding that Iran was 'ready to resolve the issues... at the negotiating table'. The war between the longtime regional foes saw Israel strike Iranian nuclear facilities and kill nuclear scientists and the country's top military brass. On June 22, Israel's ally the United States launched unprecedented strikes of its own on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. The fighting broke out two days before Tehran and Washington were set to hold a new round of talks over Iran's nuclear programme. The two sides were at sharp odds over Iran's uranium enrichment, which Tehran considers a 'non-negotiable' right and which Washington has called a 'red line'. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
