The German Bundeswehr has problems attracting new recruits – despite the government investing large sums in equipping the country’s defense forces.
The Bundeswehr has long suffered from a lack of both resources and funding. But when Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised a major investment in the country’s defense forces.
But attracting the next generation of recruits has proven difficult. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius admitted this at a military job fair in Stuttgart.
– Everyone talks about the personnel shortage in the Bundeswehr and no one is more aware of it than I am. We have seven percent fewer applicants this year compared to the same period last year, he said during the visit.
According to Pistorius, today’s young people place more importance than previous generations on finding a balance between work and private life – which can make it difficult to invest in a military career. 30 percent of the recruits also drop out of their education.
The goal is for the Bundeswehr to consist of 203,000 soldiers in 2031. Currently, the soldiers teach about 180,000 – but according to Pistorius, that figure is being revised.
In 2022, the German government set aside 100 billion euros to equip the lagging defense.