The Parliamentary Commissioner for Defence, Henning Otte of the CDU, views sanctions against 18-year-old men who refuse to complete the questionnaire regarding the new military service as a measure of last resort. Otte clarified to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that the document serves purely as an informational request and is not a formal conscription notice. He noted that the procedures for the new military service have been legally defined by both the Parliament and the Federal Government. Consequently, any citizen fulfilling rights and duties within Germany should be prepared to respond to official state correspondence. Furthermore, Otte stressed that after providing thorough information and adequate deadlines, fines should only be considered as a final recourse. He concluded that the primary focus must remain on successfully persuading young men to fulfill their duty to the country through “transparency and attractiveness” rather than through penalties.
In contrast, Thomas Erndl, the defense policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, informed RND that infractions-including failure to complete or return the military service questionnaire-must be addressed with proportionate and appropriate measures. Erndl argued that the executive branch is now responsible for enforcing the processes legally established by law and that strongly adhering to the male duty is paramount.
According to the latest official figures released by the Ministry of Defence, 86 percent of young men who have been addressed responded within the allotted four-week period, with the overall response rate reaching 91 percent after the initial reminder. This leaves an estimated 9 percent, or about 10,000 young men, who appear unwilling to provide a response. The Ministry of Defence currently proposes a fine of 250 euros in these specific non-responsive cases.
