After lengthy discussions, the Union and the SPD agreed on a compromise regarding military service. The model stipulates that from next year all 18-year-old men will have to undergo collection again. “If voluntary action is ultimately not enough, then commitment is needed,” Union parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn said on Thursday. About Military service To be more attractive and reach a sufficient number of volunteers, future soldiers will receive 2,600 euros per month, a driver’s license subsidy or additional training such as IT courses. Defense politicians now hope for voluntary action. Will this work or will the staff shortage problem just be postponed? Michael Schlieben, political correspondent for ZEIT, spoke on the podcast about the compromise and the extent to which it is only a temporary solution.
Also in the update:
Millions of dollars are said to have been lost in Ukraine’s energy sector. At the heart of the affair is President Volodymyr Zelensky’s confidant: businessman Tymur Minditsch. He and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko are said to have made money from the business of state energy company Energoatom. After two ministers submitted their resignations yesterday, Wednesday, journalist Denis Trubetskoy spoke on a podcast about how much impact this case has had on the Ukrainian president himself.
The European People’s Party (EPP), along with right-wing factions EKR, PfE and ESN, voted in the European Parliament to relax supply chain laws. A total of 382 members of parliament in Brussels approved the changes, with 249 voting against and 13 abstaining.
In the scandal surrounding US President Donald Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Democrats from the House of Representatives Control Committee have published new emails. This shows that Trump was said to be aware of cases of sexual violence against minors, but this was denied by Trump. The House of Representatives plans to vote on whether to open all of Epstein’s files next week.
Especially? The US abolishes the penny coin
Moderation and production: Erica Zingher
Editor: Moses Fendel
Cooperation: Konstanze KainzMiriam Mair
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Further links to this episode:
Bundeswehr: The agreement between the SPD and the Union regarding military service fails
Agreement on military service: expectations for volunteers
Military Service Act: The coalition originally wanted to make military service voluntary
Epstein scandal: The US government accuses the Democratic Party of defamation after new Epstein leaks
