Faced with a threat that he considers more seriously, the Russian one, Germany aims to double its military contingent. The Friedrich Merz government has approved today a reform of the lever service that will bring the number of soldiers on the card, between actual and reservists, to almost half a million.
The initiative, explained defense minister Boris Pistorius, aims to attract volunteers for the Bundeswehr. But if you do not arrive at a sufficient number of recruits, the mandatory lever will start.
Starting from January 1 of next year, a questionnaire will be sent to all young Germans, males and females, to probe their interest in serving in the armed forces. Questions on the level of physical fitness, skills and interests will be included. According to the bill, which has yet to be approved by Parliament, men will be obliged to fill in the questionnaire, while for women it will be optional.
From 1 July 2027, all 18 -year -old Germans will have to undergo a compulsory medical examination, even if they have not decided to enlist as volunteers.
“Russia is, and will remain for a long time, the greatest threat to freedom, peace and stability in Europe,” said Merz. Germany explained, aims to have the largest conventional army on the European side of NATO.
The compulsory lever had been suspended in Germany in 2011 under Angela Merkel’s chancellor. Currently, the Bundeswehr has about 182,000 soldiers and 49,000 reservists. Pistorius aims to reach at least 260,000 soldiers and 200,000 operational reservists, for a total of 460 thousand men and women.
For the recruitment, a campaign on social media was decided to advertise the advantages of enrollment: a minimum salary of 2,300 euros per month, free health care and other advantages such as support to obtain the driving license.
The government has also formally approved the creation of a new National Council for security and measures to better protect the armed forces from computer attacks, sabotages and other threats.