Germany to reform laws to sack extremist soldiers, says defense chief

By Anadolu Staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany is set to introduce legal reforms to ease the sacking of right-wing extremist soldiers, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Thursday.

Addressing lawmakers in parliament, Pistorius said the vast majority of military personnel were committed to the country's democratic constitutional order, but acknowledged that it also had a problem of right-wing extremism.

"I can announce that we'll soon propose amendments to Military Act, hopefully before the summer recess, or right after that, in order to improve the legal framework, so that those who reject our constitution and work against it can be expelled from military service more quickly," he said.

Defense Minister Pistorius' Social Democrat Party (SPD) posted the remarks on Twitter in widely shared message: "Throw Nazis out of the troops!"

According to a parliamentary report last month, authorities identified at least 319 suspected cases of right-wing extremism in the German armed forces.

Dozens of retired and active military personnel have been arrested in recent years over ties to right-wing extremist groups and involvement in far-right plots to create nationwide chaos and overthrow the government.