The Bundeswehr is advertising aggressively. But the new generation can only replace the departures. The force was actually supposed to grow by 20,000 people. Is “conscription light” the solution?
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is under pressure after a year in office. The number of applications for a military career fell to 43,200 in 2023, as a ministry spokeswoman told SPIEGEL. That was 700 fewer than the previous year.
It was “successful in significantly slowing down the decline in the number of applicants and largely stabilizing the numbers over the course of the year.” Trend reversal sounds different, but changing times even more so.
Pistorius is therefore not only having conscription models examined, but also promising immediate measures.
In the podcast, SPIEGEL chief reporter Matthias Gebauer reports on who the troops are really missing.
Marcel Bohnert, Lieutenant Colonel in the General Staff Service and Vice Chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, explains the role that viral hits and influencers play in recruiting young talent.
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“Stimmenfang” is SPIEGEL’s political podcast. For everyone who wants to understand Germany better. Marius Mestermann discusses the political topic of the week with his guests. New every Thursday.
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