Former Army Inspector Alfons Mais urges that Europe adopt nuclear weapons, with Germany taking the lead. “Europe must become a nuclear power if we do not wish to rely indefinitely on the Americans” he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”. Mais stresses that there will be no EU‑wide nuclear arsenal; instead, individual states would supply their own weapons to the alliance, and Germany should assume a leadership role within Europe.
He argues that conventional deterrence alone cannot counter the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, citing Russia as the primary threat. In 2022 he publicly warned that the Bundeswehr suffered serious equipment shortages, describing the force as “more or less blank”.
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion, Mais said the Bundeswehr is now better organized and more combat‑ready than it was in 2022, yet still falls short of the desired level. Critical gaps remain in areas such as drone interception and air defence. While progress is evident, he questions whether full equipment modernization can be achieved by 2029, demanding faster implementation.
Mais served as army inspector from 2020 until his retirement in the autumn of 2025.