The Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group has rejected the possibility of introducing mandatory civil service. According to responsible reporter Felix Döring, told to the “Rheinische Post” on Wednesday, their stance is clear: “Volunteerism wins, coercion loses. We aim to strengthen, expand, and make voluntary services more socially equitable, rather than introducing new mandatory duties.”
Döring emphasizes that the crucial steps forward involve making more placements available and improving the general framework so that all young people can choose to participate in a voluntary service, regardless of their social background. He stated that as long as the number of applicants exceeds the available slots, “we maintain that the discussion about compulsory civil service or a mandatory year is the wrong priority.”
The SPD politician further stressed that they are focusing on cultivating an attractive, accessible, and reliably funded voluntary service structure. This initiative, he clarified, is not intended to recruit additional personnel for social associations and institutions in a way that would compete with jobs requiring social security coverage.
