+++ Bundespolitik +++: Pistorius nach Protesten – Brauchen starke Streitkräfte

Verteidigungsminister Boris Pistorius, a member of the SPD party, has emphasized the importance of a strong Bundeswehr following protests from young people against compulsory military service. Pistorius stated to Funke-Medien, "If the demonstrations mean we do not want to go to the front and die in war, then I can only say that we want exactly the same."

He believes that strong military forces are necessary to deter any situation where Germany would have to fight anywhere. The new compulsory military service law came into force in January, requiring mandatory physical training for young men and reinstating the draft for all young men and women born in 2008 and beyond. However, the principle of voluntary service still applies to military service.

Each year, young men and women receive a questionnaire inquiring about their motivation for military service. This year, the questionnaire focuses on their motivation. Just before the World Climate Conference in Antalya, Turkey, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party failed in its Bundestag proposal to withdraw from the World Climate Panel (IPCC).

All other parties voted against the proposal. The AfD's climate policy spokesman, Karsten Hilse, criticized the conference as a "political instrument of unilateral climate policy" and described it as "a farce" in the context of climate protection measures. Earlier in October, Hilse had referred to the notion that "man-made CO2 emissions are primarily responsible for the current climate change" as a "long-discredited claim."

AfD colleague Ingo Hahn described the UN climate conference as "climate religion" and "climate youth."