Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) expressed optimism regarding the current return rates of questionnaires for young men and women concerning the new military service. Speaking to the “Rheinische Post”, he stated that while he is currently satisfied, it is crucial to ensure that they are not relying solely on a momentary snapshot. Instead, the data must demonstrate a reliable trend based on robust figures.
Pistorius explained that the questionnaires were distributed in January and recipients have four weeks to respond. He cautioned that presenting this solid information requires more time, suggesting that the data will only be released to the public later this summer.
The minister also admitted to an error concerning a specific regulation included initially in the text for the new military service, which dealt with the approval of extended time abroad. Calling it a “technical mistake” the SPD politician stressed that the provision should never have been included in the law. Pistorius noted that this oversight had gone unnoticed by anyone involved with the legislative process-neither himself, his ministry, the cabinet, the parliament, nor the media-until the most recent period.
He acknowledged that when such an error occurs, swift action is needed to provide clarity, which the government achieved through a decree and general notice. Nevertheless, he conceded that this specific regulation had caused unnecessary public uncertainty.
