In brief

• Defence Minister Boris Pistorius says the Bundeswehr can meet its personnel needs without reinstating conscription.
• The armed forces had about 190,000 soldiers in October, the highest level since 2013.
• Pistorius said the trend could weaken in some years and the government would then have to respond.

Troop numbers at a 13-year high

The Bundeswehr had roughly 190,000 soldiers in October, its largest headcount since 2013 (Soldatinnen und Soldaten - Pistorius sieht Personalplanung der Bundeswehr auf gutem Weg - erstmal keine Wehrpflicht nötig – Deutschlandfunk) (Soldatinnen und Soldaten - Pistorius sieht Personalplanung der Bundeswehr auf gutem Weg – Deutschlandfunk). Pistorius said many of them had signed up for longer commitments. He told the Funke media group that the measures anchored in the new military service modernisation law are taking effect (Bundeswehr-Aufstockung laut Pistorius ohne Wehrpflicht möglich – MDR) (Bundeswehr: Personalbedarf kann laut Pistorius voraussichtlich auch ohne Wehrpflicht gedeckt werden – DER SPIEGEL).

No conscription for now

Pistorius said he expects voluntary recruitment to hold up, but acknowledged that the trend could weaken in a few years, at which point the government would need to respond. If the current course continues, there would be no staffing shortfall and therefore no need for a debate on some form of conscription, he said (Soldatinnen und Soldaten - Pistorius rechnet nicht mit Rückkehr zur Wehrpflicht: Bundeswehr kann Personalbedarf auch so decken – Deutschlandfunk). Asked about the protests, he said he understood young people who had never had to think about these questions and now feared what might be asked of them (Pistorius rechnet derzeit nicht mit Rückkehr zur Wehrpflicht – tagesschau.de).

Response to protests

Several demonstrations by pupils and young people against conscription have taken place recently. Pistorius said demonstrators often say they do not want to fight at the front or die in a war. He argued that the government wants the same thing and that strong armed forces are needed to deter conflict so that the country is never forced into fighting.

Other topics in the interview

In the same interview, Pistorius also spoke about pressure on Russia's shadow fleet of oil tankers, which he said should be increased to curb revenue from oil and gas sales. He said the federal government is coordinating the approach. He also said the additional billions for the Bundeswehr will be split, with half going to new technology procurement. He wants to recruit more women into the armed forces.