The German Federal Ministry of Defence plans to send penalty notices to young men who have failed to return the questionnaire regarding the new military service obligations.
A spokesperson for the Ministry told the dpa news agency on Friday that following the initial four-week deadline, there will be a final grace period. Should no response be received even after this extension, the relevant official notices will be issued. The Ministry stated that these processes are currently being finalized.
Currently, the Ministry intends to levy a fine of up to €250, although the law permits higher amounts. The amount, however, will always be determined on a case-by-case basis; for instance, negligence could result in a lower fine. It remains unclear whether a monetary penalty definitively concludes the issue for repeat offenders. When questioned on the matter, the Ministry spokesperson mentioned “legal measures or enforcement” but remained vague about how these would be implemented in cases of refusal to provide information.
In a broader context, the German Armed Forces reported that by the end of April, they had dispatched over 200,000 letters to both young men and women, inquiring about their willingness to perform military service. Of the men contacted, approximately 86 percent returned the questionnaire within the initial four-week deadline. After the first reminder, roughly 73 percent of the reminded men provided their feedback during the subsequent two-week extension.
The return rate for “persons of the other gender” who, according to the Ministry, are not obligated to complete the form as men are, stands at approximately three percent. The Ministry did not disclose on Friday the overall level of interest in military service derived from the completed questionnaires.
