Press
How can the Bundeswehr’s personnel problem be solved? Probably not without obligations, says Inspector General Breuer. He calls for more equality in the discussion.
Berlin – The German army, plagued by personnel problems, is struggling to find new recruits. At the height of tensions during the Cold War in the 1980s, the force had around half a million soldiers. Since then, their numbers have been steadily declining – as the armed forces According to its website, there are currently around 260,000 people in its service, including 180,517 in uniform and 80,713 civilian employees. Conscription was suspended in 2011 after 55 years under the then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU).
Bundeswehr Inspector General Breuer demands that Germany must be “ready for war”
As Vladimir Putin’s When the war of aggression against Ukraine at the end of February 2022 reactivated global threat scenarios that had been thought to have been overcome and put NATO allies in a difficult position, the personnel shortage of the armed forces increasingly in the focus of the debates. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) wants to survey all young people of a year group using a questionnaire in order to get an idea of who is theoretically capable of being deployed. The CDU does not think this goes far enough: in its new policy program, it is calling for compulsory military service to be reintroduced.
Carsten Breuer, the Bundeswehr’s Inspector General, has now also spoken out on the question of how a personnel turnaround can be initiated in the Bundeswehr. As Inspector General, he is the highest-ranking soldier and direct advisor to Defense Minister Pistorius. Breuer is calling for women to be included in the obligation if conscription is reintroduced.
“We currently have a suspended military service, which according to the Basic Law is aimed only at the male population. We should establish equality here – but to do this we first need a corresponding political and social discussion,” Breuer told the Editorial Network Germany (RND). Breuer emphasized, that Germany must be “fit for war”.
Compulsory military service for women too? “It won’t work without compulsory elements”
Breuer referred to the RND also for new military service model by Defence Minister Pistoriuswhich he presented in June. According to his model, military service should consist of a six-month basic military service with an optional voluntary military service lasting up to 17 additional months. To this end, the aforementioned mandatory questionnaire would be introduced, in which young men would have to provide information about their willingness and ability to do military service. Young women could also do this if they wished.
In principle, Inspector General Breuer spoke out in favor of Pistorius’ military service model: “From a military perspective, we need the ability to expand, not least with a view to NATO’s plans.” Also because Germany is a central hub for the alliance. Although Breuer agreed with Defense Minister Pistorius’ new military service model, he fears that it will not be able to close the current large personnel gaps in the Bundeswehr. According to Breuer, the Bundeswehr’s overall personnel requirements currently amount to over 400,000 temporary and professional soldiers as well as reservists.
“To meet this demand, we need around 100,000 additional reservists,” Breuer continued. Pistorius’ new military service model may be able to meet this demand initially, but “it will not work without compulsory contributions,” Breuer warned.
Reintroduction of conscription: What are the pros and cons?
According to the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr could have up to 900,000 reservists Central German Broadcasting (MDR). It is unclear, however, how many of them are actually ready for action. This is one of the reasons why the Bundeswehr Reservists’ Association considers the reintroduction of conscription to be unavoidable. Without compulsory military service, Germany would not be able to defend itself, says Reservists’ Association President Patrick Sensburg.
In addition to a well-trained and equipped force, an equally well-trained and equipped reserve is therefore needed. The Bundeswehr Association also sees the need to recruit and retain more personnel. Otherwise, operational readiness threatens to “drop to a level that would hardly be justifiable,” Sensburg was recently (29 June 2024) informed by the German Radio quoted.
Opponents of conscription argue primarily with the individual’s right to self-determination. There is also clear opposition to the reintroduction of conscription in the traffic light coalition. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is in favour of continuing to rely on voluntary recruitment and making the Bundeswehr more attractive for this. For Johannes Vogel, the first parliamentary manager of the FDP, the return to conscription would even be an obstacle “on the way to a professional Bundeswehr”, he is quoted as saying by the German Radio. Vogel thus takes up a second argument against conscription: conscripts today may no longer be able to effectively defend the country. (fh)
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