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In Germany, a report by the parliamentary special commissioner regarding the state of the country’s armed forces was released, highlighting as the main problems the lack of personnel and the neglect of the material-technical base.
This was reported by Spiegel.
In the report on the state of the armed forces in 2024, the parliamentary special commissioner Eva Högl stated a number of problems in the Bundeswehr – starting with a shortage of personnel.
The armed forces are still not approaching the goal of increasing the number of personnel to over 200,000 by 2031. As of the end of 2024, the Bundeswehr had slightly more than 180,000 servicemen – even fewer than at the end of 2023.
The average age of German contract soldiers increased from 32.4 in 2019 to 34.
Högl pointed to the problem of career advancement for those in service. According to her findings, many have to wait undeservedly long for promotion, even if they already meet all the criteria, because the current staffing schedule does not allow for such an opportunity.
To solve the problem of personnel shortages and the “aging” of servicemen, Högl advocates intensifying debates on restoring conscription according to the model proposed by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. The idea is that from 2026, all 18-year-old young men will fill out questionnaires regarding their suitability and interest in military service, based on which candidate selection will take place. For girls, this will be voluntary.
The special commissioner also noted significant infrastructure problems, particularly the condition of housing facilities for personnel; a shortage of ammunition, spare parts, and fully operational equipment. According to her findings, there is no shortage only in individual equipment – bulletproof vests and helmets.
Approximately 67 billion euros are needed to modernize the worn-out infrastructure of the Bundeswehr.
It should be reminded that on March 4, the German parties CDU/CSU and SPD, which are negotiating the formation of a government led by Friedrich Merz, agreed on a multi-billion-euro defense and infrastructure financing package on credit.
All defense expenditures exceeding 1% of GDP will be exempt from debt restrictions.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared a “historic day” for the Bundeswehr and Germany.
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