BERLIN, July 1. /TASS/. The German government has passed bills aimed at increasing its army reserve and accelerating the construction of military facilities, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters at a news conference.
"The cabinet approved a bill today that strengthens the reserve and another one, aimed at accelerating the construction of Bundeswehr infrastructure," he pointed out.
Pistorius noted that the country’s authorities were abolishing the principle known as dual voluntariness. "Until now, both employers and reservists had to agree to the latter entering [military service]. The bill cancels that," he explained. Thus, participation in military training will be mandatory for reservists and will no longer require employer consent.
Reservists could also be called up in crisis situations, including in the event of "hybrid threats," even if there is no formal need to defend the country.
The German authorities seek to increase the number of reservists to at least 200,000 by 2033. The active-duty army is expected to grow to 260,000.
