Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Three martyrs, injured in Israeli drone strike on phone charging station west of Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Four martyrs, dozens of injured as IOF open fire on civilians near GHF facility west of Rafah, southern Gaza.
Lebanese Army: This may push Army to freeze cooperation with committee regarding investigating facilities.
Lebanese Army: Enemy's continued violations of agreement and its refusal to respond with implementation committee weakens committee, Army's role.
Lebanese Army: A number of patrols also headed to locations under threat to investigate them, despite enemy's refusal of proposal.
Lebanese Army: As soon as enemy announced its threats, Army began coordination with ceasefire committee to stop attack.
Lebanese Army: Aggressions took place on eve of holidays, in clear atttempt by enemy to disrupt recovery of our nation and positive atmosphere.
Lebanese Army: Occupation's violations have turned into a daily aggression against Lebanese sovereignty, as it flouts ceasefire mechanism and efforts by implementation committee.
Lebanese Army: [Israeli] enemy has recently escalated its aggressions on Lebanon, targeting civilians, residential buildings, and facilities in different areas.
Berri: It is our fate every Eid al-Adha to offer sacrifices in defense of Lebanon and its sovereignty, and the aggression will not prevent us from celebrating our holidays

Germany could reintroduce military draft: Defense minister

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 15 May 2025 10:17
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warns conscription may return if voluntary army enlistment falls short.

Listen
  • x
  • Germany could reintroduce military draft: defense minister
    German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius attends a military welcome ceremony at the Defense Ministry in Berlin, Germany, on January 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

Germany may be forced to revive conscription if not enough people voluntarily join the army, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Thursday. 

In 2011, Berlin abolished conscription but has recently considered bringing it back, citing perceived threats from Russia.

According to 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.

He added, "And I say this quite deliberately and honestly: the emphasis is also on ‘initially,’ in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers."

"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.

Military service increased by more than 20%

Related News

Procter & Gamble to lay off 7,000 employees: WSJ

US imposes sanctions on ICC judges over Netanyahu arrest warrant

Applications for military service increased by more than 20% in the first quarter of 2025, while 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, while some politicians described recruitment goals as unrealistic.

Although Germany has supplied Ukraine with heavy weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks, Berlin denies direct involvement in the conflict with Russia. Germany’s top general, Carsten Breuer, told Deutsche Welle in March that the country is 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.

However, 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 war.

One in four new recruits in German army drop out 

This comes after a Financial Times (FT) report in March revealed that one in four new recruits to the German armed forces are dropping out within six months, according to the country’s military oversight body, which has raised concerns that personnel shortages are pushing the military "to breaking point."

Eva Högl, the German parliament's commissioner for the armed forces, highlighted that while recruitment efforts have had some success, poor retention rates have left the military far from reaching its target of 203,000 soldiers by 2031.

Instead, the total force size has slightly declined to just over 181,000, even as Germany pledges to enhance Europe’s defense amid the potential withdrawal of US support from the continent.

"The Bundeswehr is shrinking and getting older," Högl stated as she presented the annual report on the military's state, noting the average age of soldiers has risen to 34 years, up from 33.1 years in 2021, and stressing that "This development must be stopped and reversed as a matter of urgency."

She explained how "the troops are challenged, but they are also very overburdened. I’ll go as far as to say they’re at breaking point. When we look at where our Bundeswehr is needed, for national defence, NATO alliance defence, and international crisis management, it is a lot. And it really is at the limit."

  • United States
  • Nato
  • Germany
  • Boris Pistorius
  • Ukraine
  • Donald Trump

Most Read

Lebanon's PM Nawaf Salam meets with US envoy Morgan Ortagus in Beirut on April 5, 2025 (Dalati Nohra via AP)AP)

Morgan Ortagus to exit US role in Lebanon amid policy shift

  • Politics
  • 1 Jun 2025
A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)

French port workers block arms shipment to 'Israel' amid Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 4 Jun 2025
It may well be due to the longstanding relationship between MI6 and HTS, via Inter Mediate, that Britain was the first Western country to recognise their assumption of government in Syria. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Zeinab El-Hajj)

How MI6 helped HTS seize Syria

  • Opinion
  • 31 May 2025
Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Monday, June 2, 2025. (AP)

Boston Consulting Group withdraws from GHF

  • Palestine
  • 3 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Poll
Palestine

Sharp decline in international perception of 'Israel', Netanyahu: Poll

Ukrainian soldiers with the anti-drone KVS G-6, manufactured by Kvertus Technology.Territorial Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine/Facebook
US & Canada

Shift in US priorities: Drone fuzes reallocated from Kiev to CENTCOM

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance
US & Canada

US Jews accuse Trump of antisemitism despite his pro-'Israel' stance

Former US President Joe Biden speaks from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Sept. 30, 2024 (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
US & Canada

Trump orders investigation into Biden’s autopen use, cognitive fitness

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS