Angela Merkel’s designated heir may bring back national service

THERE were calls for a referendum in Germany yesterday after Angela Merkel’s likely successor said that she was ready to consider the return of national service.

Annegret Kramp-karrenbauer, who is widely seen as the designated heir to Mrs Merkel, the chancellor, surprised Germany last week when she said she was open to “very intense” discussion.

Opinion polls showed more than 55 per cent of Germans support the reintroduction of conscription.

But a spokesman for Mrs Merkel’s government made clear that a return to compulsory military service was out of the question.

Instead calls are mounting for a scheme under which young people could choose between a year’s military service or some form of social service.

Germany ended conscription in 2011 in favour of a professional army but has been struggling to recruit troops in recent years.

Troop shortages have become so severe that the ministry of defence recently said it was considering recruiting citizens of other EU countries to make up the shortfall.

While a referendum is unlikely, given strict restrictions in the German constitution, a poll released this month found that 55.6 per cent of Germans are in favour of a return to military conscription, while only 39.6 per cent are against.

The only party that has come out fully in favour of a return to conscription is the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AFD) and there has been speculation that Ms Kramp-karrenbauer was trying to entice AFD voters back to the CDU by reopening the debate on national service.