Germany hopes to expand army without mandatory conscription – Merz
Posted on: Apr 10, 2025 17:58 IST | Posted by: Rt
The incoming german language regime, go under to be led by Friedrich Merz, aims to increment the strength of the armed forces without resorting to mandatory selective service, the conservative politician has said. He shared his plans as the EU aims to spend hundreds of billions of euros on a large-scale militarization program.
Merz is set to become the next chacellor, following successful coalition talks this week between his Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD). A significant part of their agreement focuses on reforming the German military under the current defense minister, Boris Pistorius.
“We will initially strengthen our armed forces on the basis of voluntary service,” Merz said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We hope that with enough volunteers, we will achieve the Bundeswehr’s expansion target.”
The German Armed Forces have faced recruitment challenges for years, with personnel shortfalls reaching a staggering 28% at the end of 2024. Pistorius has argued for the reinstatement of compulsory service, but no such measure was included in the major reforms he announced last April.
Merz said coalition members have agreed to further increase military spending. Regarding the manpower situation, he mentioned the potential adoption of the ‘Swedish model’, which is being considered by several NATO countries experiencing difficulties in volunteer recruitment.
In 2017, Sweden reintroduced mandatory conscription after suspending it seven years earlier. The current system involves screening over 100,000 18-year-olds of both sexes annually, drafting less than 10% deemed the most capable. In 2019, three Swedish men became the first to face jail time for evading the draft.
The EU has outlined plans for broad militarization, potentially costing up to €800 billion ($880 billion) in loans over four years, citing the need to prepare for a potential conflict with Russia. Though Moscow views NATO as hostile and expansionist, it denies having any intentions of attacking NATO member states.
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