German Men Now Need Army Permission to Leave the Country
Conscription law now requires men ages 18–45 to get approval before travelling abroad for more than three months.
Tuesday, April 7
In an under-the-radar change to Germany's already controversial Conscription Law, all men between the ages of 18-45 who want to leave the country for more than three months now need permission to do so from the Bundeswehr, the German Army. The clause has only just come to light, despite the law having been in effect since the start of the year.
Discovery of this rule generated national uproar among Germans already concerned with the latest regulations around the military. In response to press inquiries, the Federal Ministry of Defence did not seem prepared to provide basic answers about how the stipulation would work. It's unclear how and where citizens are supposed to submit an application for travel, something that will require a vast new system of bureaucracy.
This was "poorly drafted" and a clear step towards the reintroduction of conscription
A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Defence sought to calm public fears, saying that requesting permission to leave the country is a mere formality at this stage: "Approval is granted in principle so long as military service is voluntary," he said. In other words, since actually joining the army is not yet mandatory, citizens will automatically be granted leave. They added: "the regulations already existed during the Cold War and had no practical relevance. It is not enforced."
This appeal did not settle the concerns of representatives from German political parties, however. Criticism of the move spanned the political spectrum, with the Greens expressing "fears" and wanting "quick clarification", the Left Party warning that this was both "poorly drafted" and a clear step towards the reintroduction of conscription, and even the AfD raising concerns. Only the CDU held the position of defending the law, arguing that it aimed only to provide the army with a comprehensive database of who would be available to serve, were conscription to be required.
In short, the news is worrying whichever way you read it: that Germany is seriously readying for war, and that they're doing it with such disorganisation.
