Germany intends to return to recruitment. How many soldiers do you want to get the Bundeswehr

Germany could take into account the reintroduction of military recruitment next year if it will not attract enough volunteers for its armed forces, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday for Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, News.ro.

Part of the NATO Alliance, Germany is trying to strengthen its military force after Russia's invasion in Ukraine in 2022, but it seems that it will not be able to attract sufficient recruits. The German armed forces said that 100,000 additional soldiers are needed in the coming years to meet NATO.

The German conservatives, who lead a coalition in which the Social Democrats (SPD) of Pistorius are secondary partners, stimulated the military expenses and have been open to the compulsory service in the armed forces, which was abandoned in 2011.

“Our model is initially based on voluntary participation,” Pistorius said in an interview. “If the time will come when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, then we will be able to make it mandatory,” he added.

A new draft law in this regard could enter into force from January 1, 2026, he said.

SPD has always focused more on voluntary options for rebuilding the army.

Andreas Henne, the commander of the German Security Division in Germany, also held recruitment campaigns on Saturday. “We took the right path, but now we have to increase the rhythm,” Henne said in an interview with the T-Online news site. “Regarding the equipment, the extension of the infrastructure and, above all, the staff.”