German reservist chief says armed forces need a draft to boost ranks

Germany needs to restart its military draft, the president of the country's Reservists' Association told the RND media group.

"Voluntary measures are not enough," Patrick Sensburg said in a story published on Monday.

Due to demographic developments and retirements, the number of soldiers is even decreasing, he said. "We should therefore reactivate conscription," Sensburg added.

Open to a draft for women

Sensburg also proposed holding a public referendum on whether women should also be subject to mandatory conscription. "If there were a majority in favour of this, I don't see how the Bundestag could avoid it," he said.

Conscription was suspended in 2011 but remains enshrined in the German constitution. It can be reinstated with a simple majority by the governing coalition of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Pistorius sees the need for an additional 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers - currently, the Bundeswehr has just over 180,000 personnel.

In their coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and SPD agreed on a military service system "initially based on voluntary participation." However, the CDU/CSU is pushing for a swift decision on whether the increase in troop numbers can be achieved on a voluntary basis.

The president of the German Firefighters' Association, Karl-Heinz Banse, supports reactivating alternative civilian services alongside conscription.

"My suggestion: anyone who does not want to serve with weapons could, for example, commit to joining a volunteer fire brigade," he told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper.