this post was submitted on 04 Apr 2026
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96
Germany Introduces New Travel Restrictions for Men Aged 17-45 Amid Military Reforms (united24media.com)
submitted 1 month ago by schizoidman@lemmy.zip to c/europe@feddit.org
17 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/61926294

all 18 comments
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[–] plyth@feddit.org 39 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The headline would have been correct on 22th December 2025, when it was introduced.

Now it has already been introduced and the 3 month period is over. Since it's April, all expats have failed to apply for a permission. That includes all men, there is no 45 year limit for the permission requirement.

I am curious how many Germans will be worried that this topic wasn't discussed when the law was changed and how many wonder that nobody reminded them at the start of the year. The handling is suspiciously sneaky.

[–] steel_for_humans@piefed.social 17 points 1 month ago (7 children)

I thought Germany was a progressive country. Why only men?

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 32 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Are we? In any case, it's a law from the 60s. They "only" modified a paragraph to make it apply in peace time.

But yeah, if we must have conscription laws again, they should definitely apply to all genders.

[–] jjpamsterdam@feddit.org 2 points 1 month ago

I believe the specific law is from 1977, but I agree with your point in general, that service shouldn't discriminate based on gender.

From my knowledge this rule was supposedly active for decades before Germany discontinued conscription and nobody really followed it then. Why there is a need to reactivate a law that will not be followed by the vast majority and that has no enforcement mechanisms associated with it really beats me. It's probably a mix of incompetence and "we've always been doing things like this".

[–] pulsey@feddit.org 12 points 1 month ago

It's also a problem with our Grundgesetz/ constitution. It has the old law in it, which only requires men to serve. To change this, it would require a two-third majority in the parlament, i.e. the government would need to help of the opposition. Also the current ruling government party is conservative and isnt really interested in changing it anyways.

[–] mech@feddit.org 12 points 1 month ago

The progressive parties in Germany don't want conscription for all genders.
They want conscription for no one.
Also, Germany's government is lead by this guy right now.

[–] nope@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago

Sweden reactivated our conscription duty in 2017 and then, since the law should be gender neutral, women were then also required to muster and serve if they where deemed needed by the armed forces.

For those looking in horror at Sweden for forcing young men and women into the military: In reality if you really don't want to serve, then you will probably preform a lot worse than a person highly motivated to serve their country. Thus you will not be called upon by the armed forces to do conscription.

However with the troubling times we are in the Swedish armed forces require a lot more people to uphold the deterrence and that results in the bar for who gets called upon gets lowered.

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I thought Germany was a progressive country.

Oh, sweet summer child...

Outright nazis, a supposed center-right (and highly corrupt) party copying every nazi talking point and a supposed center-left (and not caring about anything but gifts for pensioneers) party agreeing to every insanity as long as they get a position in government, too, combine to an easy 2/3 majority in polls (did I mention age bracket 55+ having a majority in elections?^^), which translates into an even bigger majority in seats.

We have stopped doing actual politics at all as it's completely drowned out by culture war 24/7.

They are so "progressive" that they advocate for burning more fossil fuels right now as renewables are obviosuly not working, Germany is -unlike the Nordics- much too cold for heat pumps, and also much too big for electric mobility with its limited range as everyone is obviously driving a few thousand kilometers daily...

No, that's barely more than a slight exaggeration of their regular talking points.

[–] Ibuthyr@feddit.org 0 points 1 month ago

I don't give a shit. My daughter isn't going to serve this pos country. I'd rather piss off than risk anything for this garbage country full of Nazi cunts.

[–] cron@feddit.org 16 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Section 3 of the Compulsory Military Service Act (Wehrpflichtgesetz) provides that permits are to be granted as a matter of principle—rejection is therefore not intended. Nevertheless, filing an application remains mandatory.

Source: Berliner Zeitung

[–] trollercoaster@sh.itjust.works 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

A typical German solution for the underlying problem. It doesn't solve the problem at all, but introduces a shitload of bureaucracy that's about as useful as an ulcer on the arse instead.

[–] pwalker@discuss.tchncs.de 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

It does sound less problematic if you cite some "good" sources like this one: https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/neuerung-seit-1-januar-bundeswehr-maenner-bis-45-muessen-auslandsaufenthalt-melden/100214453.html

So basically it is not sanctioned (yet) if you don't do it and it is automatically granted as long as we are not in an active "war situation" (whatever that exactly means) or rather as long as our military service is still voluntary.

[–] kossa@feddit.org 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It sounds very problematic in any case, even if they promise (pinky swear) that it is granted automatically.

What kind of shit is that? Wasn't even necessary in the old conscription system.

[–] mech@feddit.org 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

The active war situation has to be declared by the German government.
Declaring it changes a few aspects of how our government works, and how much it can limit individual rights.
The precursor to it is a declaration of a "state of tension".
Neither has ever happened in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, not even when Soviet tanks played a game of chicken with the Americans in Berlin.

[–] leriotdelac@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 month ago

This wording comes from Russian propaganda network, to plant panic and disagreement as instructed.