Germany intends to significantly expand its armed forces with plans to enlist up to 40,000 teenagers annually for voluntary military service by 2031.
The draft bill, set for cabinet review by late August, will offer competitive pay and flexible terms to attract 18-year-olds, government officials say.
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The German defense ministry aims to fill 15,000 slots this year through an existing program, increasing by 3,000 to 5,000 recruits annually.
The aim is to primarily boost the number of army reservists by automatically enrolling them post-service, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
Germany is seeking to strengthen its military, responding to NATO’s concerns about Russian aggression. The topic of conscription in Germany, which was suspended in 2011, has been regularly debated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to transform Germany’s military into Europe’s most powerful army, emphasizing a leadership role in continental defense and security through a massive rearmament initiative worth hundreds of billions of euros.
The professional army must increase from 182,000 to 260,000 personnel by 2035 and expand the reserve forces available for crises from 60,000 to 200,000, according to military officials.
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