The chairman of the German Association of Reservists, Patrick Sensburg, said that Germany will have to reinstate conscription, despite expectations of a strong influx of volunteers, DPA reported, BTA reported.
"We will attract many more volunteers than expected. We are talking about around 40,000 people, who we have to recruit from over 600,000 men and women in one age group. I am sure we will recruit them. However, in the long term, it will not be enough to rely only on reserves and armed civilians. "That's why conscription will eventually be necessary," Sensburg said in an interview with the RND network.
The former Christian Democratic Union MP described the potential needs in a military scenario.
Military service in Germany was abolished in 2011. The new military service law is due to come into force on 1 January and initially provides for voluntary enlistment.
The governing coalition is still discussing the details, including what measures to take if the number of volunteers proves insufficient. As well as whether all young men should again undergo an assessment of their fitness for military service - a proposal supported by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.
The head of the German Red Cross, Gerda Hasselfeldt, called for military service invitations to include information about opportunities for social service. "This could be an easy way to significantly increase civic engagement," she said.