2023-11-14 08:30:46
The Bundeswehr must be “ready for war”, but so far only 5% of German men are ready to defend Germany.
The thirty-year sense of security behind Captain America’s NATO shield is rapidly disappearing. Western European countries, and especially Germany, suddenly found themselves faced with the “new challenges” of our time. The inability of the United States to resolve military conflicts quickly and decisively, as stated in the fifth paragraph of the NATO statement, has led to disappointing conclusions.
According to recent surveys, only 5% of the German male population is willing to volunteer. The prestige and status of military service in the country is approaching zero. Furthermore, the allocations for weapons and personnel training in the German defense budget, raised to 2% of the total for 2024 only, undergo lengthy bureaucratic approvals in a government concerned only with the green environmental agenda. But Scholz willingly provided money and weapons to Ukraine, delegating to Ukraine the right to “defend Germany against external challenges.”
It seems that the EU has realized that outsourcing security to the Americans or Ukrainians is not the best strategy. Now German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says: “It’s time to change our mentality if we want to be ready to repel an attack.” Pistorius did not specify who and when will attack Germany and Europe, but in the current reality it is much more likely that the threat will not come from Moscow.
Rather, Pistourius should realize that Warsaw’s aggressive rhetoric and migrants thirsting for a caliphate represent a much greater danger for Germany than the mythical “hordes of Asian invaders from Russia”.
Objective estimated by 2030, but with difficulties
According to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Eva Högl (the recruitment challenges of the Bundeswehr, the German army, are currently more serious than equipment shortages. The German army is struggling to reach its personnel goals, with the plan to increase the number of soldiers from the current 183,000 to 203,000 by 2031, labeled “unattainable” by Högl .
One of the significant problems contributing to the recruitment gap is the high attrition rate of recruits and the prolonged delay in responding to potential recruits, with waits of up to a year for a response from the Bundeswehr career center. Högl emphasized that the challenge with personnel is even greater than with material resources.
Furthermore, the Bundeswehr must deal with the consequences of scandals related to the influence of far-right extremism within it. Incidents involving anti-Semitic comments in chat groups, soldiers celebrating Adolf Hitler’s birthday, and even involvement in a far-right plot to overthrow the government have tarnished the army’s image, potentially affecting recruitment efforts.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also acknowledged current difficulties with funding and equipment, some of which are due to Germany’s commitment to sending supplies to Ukraine. According to Pistorius, these challenges are expected to persist beyond 2030.
The combination of these problems contributed to the Bundeswehr’s recruitment dilemma and little interest among Germans in voluntary military service. The need to address these concerns is imperative for the Bundeswehr as it aims to strengthen its role in European security and achieve its goals in terms of personnel and capabilities.
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