The Chairman of the German Armed Forces Association (BundeswehrVerband), André Wüstner, has asserted the necessity of a conscription system to achieve the planned expansion of the Bundeswehr.
Wüstner stated that the armed forces must grow from its current 170,000 personnel to 260,000 comprised of both professional soldiers and conscripts. “I know of no one within the Bundeswehr who believes this can be achieved without conscription” he stated in interviews with RTL and ntv television channels. He indicated that if the Bundeswehr is to be fully operational by 2029, the federal government must decide by late 2027 whether relying on volunteers is sufficient, suggesting a potential shift to conscription at that time.
He expressed skepticism about achieving the Defence Minister’s target of 15,000 voluntary military service participants this year and even more doubt regarding the Minister’s goal of over 100,000 volunteers by the end of the decade. Wüstner urged the federal government to begin preparing the public for the likely necessity of conscription and simultaneously develop provisions for alternative civilian service options. “Solely relying on volunteers will, in all likelihood, not allow us to achieve the necessary personnel growth in the coming years.
Wüstner commended the government’s progress with legislation aimed at registering potential conscripts and implementing a draft process, noting that the new questionnaire is encouraging public engagement with the armed forces. However, he cautioned that interest and applications do not automatically translate into enlistment.
He also suggested that potential Bundeswehr deployment in Ukraine for peacekeeping operations may deter further voluntary recruits. “Greater clarity is needed to emphasize that voluntary service participants will not be obligated to participate in foreign deployments” he explained, adding that the debate surrounding security guarantees for Ukraine is influencing attitudes toward voluntary military service.
Wüstner emphasized that the Bundeswehr faces increasing demands as the United States demonstrates a decreasing willingness to contribute to European and German security. “We Europeans and Germans must recognize that we are responsible for our own security – and this cannot be outsourced” he stated. He concluded that both the federal government and the Bundeswehr must respond accordingly, prioritizing personnel recruitment and retention as a strategic imperative.