Is Europe Preparing for War? In Germany, Men Are Required to Obtain Permission to Leave the Country 0 123

This requirement is stipulated in the amendments to the Military Duty Law that have come into effect, writes Berliner Zeitung, noting that this innovation had gone unnoticed by the general public until recently, as quoted by Meduza.

Previously, the Military Duty Law specified the need to request permission from the Bundeswehr if planning to be absent from the country for more than three months, but only in certain situations, such as during a declared heightened threat of external danger or the need to defend the country's territory in the event of an attack. However, in the new version of the law, these exceptions are not specified, implying that permission must be obtained at any time.

The document also includes a clarification: "Permissions must be issued as a matter of course — refusal is not provided for." As noted on the Bundeswehr's website, the aim of the law update is to modernize the existing database and optimize the recruitment and reserve process.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed to Frankfurter Rundschau that obtaining permission for prolonged absence from the country is necessary for "creating a reliable and informative military register in case of necessity." It is important "to know in an emergency who may be abroad for an extended period of time," the Ministry of Defense's press service stated. At the same time, representatives of the defense agency emphasized that they are still working on "more specific rules for granting exceptions to the permission requirement," as well as on how to "avoid unnecessary bureaucracy."

What the consequences will be if a resident of Germany planning to leave the country for more than three months does not obtain the corresponding permission from the Bundeswehr was not clarified by the Ministry of Defense.

The amendment regarding the request for permission for absence from the country for more than three months, German media note, was adopted as part of a reform package that, in particular, provides for increasing the Bundeswehr's personnel from the current 184,000 to 255,000–270,000 servicemen by 2035. It is also planned to strengthen the accounting of the conscription resource. Thus, all citizens of Germany born in 2008 and younger will receive a questionnaire, which will ask, among other things, about their willingness to serve in the military. For young men, filling out the questionnaire will be mandatory, while for young women, it will be voluntary. Those who express their willingness to serve may be conscripted. At the same time, the German authorities emphasize that conscription will still be on a voluntary basis.