German defense minister does not rule out return of military draft

PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo via Bundeswehr

FRANKFURT  -  Germany may consider reintroducing military conscription from as soon as next year if it does not attract enough volunteers for its armed forces, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung on Saturday.

Part of the NATO alliance, Germany is looking to enhance its military strength following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but looks likely to fail to attract enough recruits. An additional 100,000 soldiers are needed in the coming years to meet NATO obligations, its armed forces have said.

Its Conservatives, which lead a coalition in which Pistorius' Social Democrats (SPD) are junior partners, have revved up military spending and signalled openness to a compulsory service in the armed forces, which was abandoned in 2011.

"Our model is initially based on voluntary participation," Pistorius said in an interview with the Sunday newspaper, which is already for sale on Saturdays.

"If the time comes when we have more capacity available than voluntary registrations, then we may decide to make it mandatory," he added.

A new bill to that extent could come into force as soon as January 1, 2026, he said.

The SPD has always focused more on voluntary options to rebuild the military.

Andreas Henne, Commander of Germany's Homeland Security Division, on Saturday also supported recruitment drives.

"We've taken the right path, but we now need to increase the pace," Henne said in an interview with news site t-online. "In terms of equipment, infrastructure expansion, and, above all, personnel."

 (Reporting by Vera Eckert; Editing by Jan Harvey)