Germany Could Reintroduce Military Draft: Defense Minister

By Staff, Agencies

Germany may be forced to revive conscription if not enough people voluntarily join the army, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. 

In 2011, Berlin abolished conscription but has recently considered bringing it back, citing perceived threats from Russia.

According to broadcaster N-tv, the Social Democrats and Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats agreed in their coalition deal to introduce the so-called “Swedish model,” which combines selective mandatory and voluntary service.

"We have agreed that we will initially rely on voluntarism – a service that is initially voluntary and intended to encourage young people to serve their country," Pistorius said in an address to the Bundestag on Wednesday.

He added, "And I say this quite deliberately and honestly: the emphasis is also on ‘initially,’ in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers."

"In the medium and long term, we will strengthen personnel levels to ensure that the Bundeswehr is sustainably positioned for both homeland security and alliance defense," the minister said.