NATO is urging Germany to significantly expand its military forces, Die Welt revealed on Saturday, citing sources. Officials in Berlin reportedly believe that the country, which is burdened by high dropout rates, will struggle to meet the proposed targets.
As NATO members are poised to convene for the July summit in The Hague, discussions about increasing national defense spending to 5% of GDP – a target the US reportedly insists on – and expanding troop numbers are expected to loom large on the agenda.
Germany, for its part, is facing “particular challenges,” including a proposal to increase the Bundeswehr’s personnel to between 240,000 and 260,000 soldiers by 2030, an increase of up to 80,000 troops from current levels of around 183,000, according to Welt.
Difficulties with ballooning the military are exacerbated by high dropout rates among new recruits, with up to 30% leaving within the first six months, the paper says. Other factors contributing to attrition include harsh training, distant postings, and limited career prospects, as many potential soldiers view the private sector as a much more attractive option. In addition, some military branches reportedly resist accepting soldiers trained in other divisions.
The German paper also warned that if the Bundeswehr attempts to adopt the new target, “the debate about reactivating conscription is likely to flare up,” and the recruitment effort could be quite unpopular.
On Wednesday, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signaled that if there are not enough volunteers Germany may need to revive conscription, which was abolished in 2011. In April, the Interior Ministry also proposed introducing civil defense lessons in schools to prepare students for potential crises and conflicts.
This comes as a number of Western officials have claimed that Russia could launch an attack on NATO within several years. Moscow has repeatedly denied having such plans, dismissing the speculation as “nonsense.”
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