Boris Pistorius says the Bundeswehr needs to boost enlistment amid tensions with Russia
Germany may be forced to revive conscription if not enough people join the army voluntarily, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said.
Berlin abolished conscription in 2011 but has recently considered bringing it back, citing “threats” from Russia. According to the 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.
“And I say this quite deliberately and honestly: the emphasis is also on ‘initially,’ in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers,” he added.
“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.
According to Pistorius, applications for military service increased by more than 20% in the first quarter of 2025. Germany plans to raise the number of active soldiers from 180,000 to over 200,000 by 2031.
Enlistment had previously dropped by 7% in 2023, as the Bundeswehr struggled to attract younger recruits, prompting some politicians to describe the recruitment goals as unrealistic.
Although Germany has supplied Ukraine with heavy weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks, Berlin denies that the country is directly involved in the conflict with Russia. Carsten Breuer, Germany’s top general, told Deutsche Welle in March that the country was living in a “grey zone” between full-scale war and complete peace.
During a visit to Lithuania in January, Pistorius claimed that Russia could prepare its army for a “theoretical attack” on NATO in 2029 or 2030.
Moscow has denied any plans to attack NATO member states and accused Berlin of dangerous escalation after Merz voiced support for supplying Kiev with Taurus long-range cruise missiles. Russia argued that the shipment of such sophisticated weapons would make Germany a de facto direct participant in the conflict.
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