Military leader perceives German armed forces nearing volunteer exhaustion.
New Military Service Debate: Germany Considering Conscription Amid Volunteer Recruitment Struggles
The defense sector in Germany is grappling with a severe shortage in personnel. The need for conscription reintroduction, suspended since 2011, is gaining traction amidst growing buzz. However, the current black-red coalition is insistent on relying on voluntary recruitment first. So, what does a senior officer think about this approach?
Bundeswehr's Home Defense Division commander, Lieutenant General Andreas Henne, is skeptical about the long-term success of a solely volunteer-based military service. "For securing defense-critical infrastructure, I simply need a larger troop count than what voluntary recruitment alone can provide," he said to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "For now, the plan is to secure a high volume of volunteers, eliminating the immediate need for compulsory service. But the higher our troop requirements, the more likely it is that we may hit the limit of voluntarism," he added[1].
Responding to a question about when the first voluntary military service performers would be called up, Henne mentioned, "This will happen within the current year. We are prepared and equipped for it."
Henne also expressed reservations about gendering conscription, pointing out that a future reintroduction should take into account gender equality[1].
Another notable figure in the discussion is Norbert Röttgen, deputy chairman of the Union faction. He argues for embedding a compulsory element within the new military service law, even if the voluntary recruitment fails to deliver the necessary personnel increase. Röttgen said, "We must have the instruments we’ll resort to if voluntarism doesn’t work, all set from the outset. We don’t have the luxury of a two-year trial run before preparing the alternative."
Germany's current army, the Bundeswehr, has about 180,000 active soldiers, falling short of the target of 203,000 by 2031[2].
Considering the ongoing discussion, it appears likely that Germany may soon be facing a change in its military service law, whether through voluntarism or conscription[3].
- Military Struggles
- Conscription
- Germany
- Defense Policy
- Norbert Röttgen
Sources: ntv.de, gut
Enrichment Data:
- Current Situation: The Bundeswehr currently has around 180,000 to 182,000 active soldiers, which is below the target goal of 203,000 by 2031[2][4].
- Voluntary Recruitment Challenges: Despite a recent recruitment surge, the number of personnel still falls short for the military's tasks[1][2][4].
- NATO Requirements: Heightened NATO demands for military growth have amplified the need for more soldiers, potentially speeding up the reintroduction of conscription[3].
- Legislative Discussion: There are plans to propose legislation for compulsory service if voluntary recruitment falters, with possible implementation by January 2026[4].
- Public and Political Opposition: The idea of reinstating conscription is sparking debate among political parties and the public, with some advocating for it from national security standpoints and others championing a volunteer-based force[4][5].
- The ongoing debate in Germany focuses on altering the military service law, with the reform potentially involving voluntary recruitment or the reintroduction of conscription, due to the current shortage in the Bundeswehr's personnel and the mounting requirements from NATO.
- With the Black-Red coalition insisting on voluntary recruitment, political figures like Norbert Röttgen advocate for embedding a compulsory element within the new military service law, in case voluntarism fails to provide the necessary personnel increase, citing the need for having alternative options readily available.
