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New German government plans to shorten military conscription (Roundup)
Oct 22, 2009, 16:16 GMT
Berlin - Germany's next coalition government plans to shorten military conscription by three months, according to a deal worked out Thursday, sources told the German Press Agency dpa.
Young men will have to complete six months of compulsory military service from January 2011, according to the arrangement drafted by negotiators from Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and her coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats.
The plan still needs to be formalized by the two parties, who are currently engaged in negotiations to finalize their new government charter after winning a majority in last month's general election.
Men are at present obliged to serve nine months in the military, but can refuse and opt for voluntary work in nursing homes, hospitals or other civil organizations. Women are exempted from conscription.
The Free Democrats favour scrapping conscription altogether, but Merkel said in July that she wanted compulsory military service to remain in force.
Some 68,270 German men were conscripted last year, according to the defence ministry. A similar number opted for voluntary service in civil institutions.
Germany's armed forces currently has a strength of 250,000.
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