Green MP Janosch Dahmen Joins Bundeswehr Reserve, Proposes General Service

Janosch Dahmen, the 44‑year‑old health‑policy spokesman of the Green parliamentary group, withdrew his earlier conscientious‑objector status and registered as a reservist in the Bundeswehr’s medical service. He told Der Spiegel that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has altered the security environment, making it untenable for Germany to rely solely on others for defence. While he maintains his personal conviction of not wanting to kill, he argues that the changed circumstances require a broader societal commitment to protect the country.

Dahmen also uses his own change of stance to push for a universal “Gesellschaftsdienst” – a six‑to‑twelve‑month service after school that could be carried out in the armed forces, civil‑protection units, NGOs or social institutions. He proposes periodic refresher assignments every six years to sustain resilience, and he highlighted his own training in a medical regiment and a short‑range rifle exercise as part of his new reservist duties.