Germany wishes to enlarge military forces without mandatory conscription
(MENAFN) Friedrich Merz, poised to become Germany’s next chancellor, has announced plans to expand the country’s military forces without reinstating mandatory conscription. The initiative aligns with broader EU efforts to boost defense capabilities, including a massive proposed militarization budget of up to €800 billion over the next four years.
Following successful coalition negotiations between Merz’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), military reform emerged as a central component of their agreement. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius will continue overseeing the Bundeswehr’s restructuring.
“Our priority is to build up the military through voluntary enlistment,” Merz said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We believe that with sufficient voluntary participation, we can meet the Bundeswehr’s expansion goals.”
Germany has long struggled with military recruitment, facing a personnel deficit of around 28% as of late 2024. Although Pistorius has previously advocated for bringing back conscription, it was not included in the reform measures announced last year.
Merz mentioned that the coalition is also considering models like Sweden’s, where a selective form of conscription was reintroduced in 2017. Sweden assesses over 100,000 young adults each year but drafts only a small percentage considered most fit. The country even enforces penalties, including jail time, for those who evade service.
As part of NATO, Germany is responding to EU-wide concerns about defense readiness amid tensions with Russia. While Moscow denies any aggressive intentions toward NATO states, the alliance continues to view Russia as a potential threat.
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