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BERLIN: Germany is struggling to recruit soldiers and will have to decide by July 2027 at the latest whether to reintroduce compulsory military service, a senior parliamentarian has said.
Faced with a growing threat from Russia and an unpredictable United States, Berlin is looking to revamp its army and has committed to increase its troop strength to at least 260,000 soldiers — up from the current 185,000 — by 2035.
The government in November introduced a new voluntary military service model, along with compulsory registration for 18-year-old men. However, between January and May, the scheme resulted in only 530 new recruits — despite around 300,000 young people being contacted.
If Germany cannot reach its targets through the voluntary system, “we will have to return to conscription”, said conservative MP Thomas Roewekamp, chairman of the German parliament’s defence committee. “We must take that decision by July 31 of next year,” he said.
