55 pct German respondents against resumption of compulsory military service: poll

A poll released in Germany on Thursday showed that 55 percent of respondents reject the resumption of compulsory military service, an eight percentage point increase compared to 2021.

Amid the increasingly tense international security situation in recent years, particularly the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, calls for the resumption of conscription have been growing louder in the German political circle.

In response, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently proposed adding 50,000 to 60,000 active-duty soldiers in the Bundeswehr, the federal armed forces, to meet NATO's new round of defense capability requirements. This move is widely seen as Germany's largest military expansion in the post-war period and marks a potential fundamental shift in Germany's defense strategy.

"I am extremely worried about the current situation and hold a critical attitude. I do not agree with militarization practices, including military expansion and increased investment in military equipment," said Bernd Einmeier, expert of ThinkTank Networks GmbH and Co.

Germany established a special fund of 100 billion euros (112 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022. However, some critical voices have pointed out that in the process of expanding its military equipment, a large proportion of Germany's huge military expenditure has actually gone to U.S. military industrial enterprises rather than being used for the modernization of its own defense system.

"The 100 billion euro special defense fund we have established is actually an economic stimulus plan for the United States, because most of the money is for purchasing weapons from the United States, to buy weapons for war and destruction. In my opinion, every euro is a fundamental mistake," said Einmeier.

55 pct German respondents against resumption of compulsory military service: poll

55 pct German respondents against resumption of compulsory military service: poll

The Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a newly formed defense pact among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, represents a deterrence strategy rather than an actual threat to Iran, according to Hossein Kanani Moghaddam, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The three nations on Friday signed the joint defense agreement in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, to deepen cooperation among the three regional powers amid rising regional security concerns, according to Pakistan's Foreign Ministry.

The agreement aims to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, under which an armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against all, the ministry said in a statement.

However, its signing amid the backdrop of the Middle East conflict has prompted questions as to whether the parties would actually uphold their obligations in the event of a real attack.

"Treaties like these are more about deterrence than operational use. That is, if we were to attack the U.S. base in Saudi Arabia tomorrow, Pakistan wouldn't react. Even Türkiye, because they know that if they respond they'd be drawn into a war against Iran, is mostly engaging in propaganda. And in my view, it has no effect in terms of threatening Iran," said Kanani Moghaddam, who now works as a military analyst.

"We want to attack the U.S. base; we're not attacking Saudi Arabia. This base is in Saudi Arabia, and in any case Saudi Arabia understands that we're not seeking war with them. It seems that this pact that has been forged will have no effect on the war between Iran, the United States, and the Zionist regime; it is viewed more as a deterrent measure," he said.

Former IRGC commander plays down threat from Pakistan-Saudi-Türkiye defense pact