The head of Germany’s Bundeswehr Association said a government plan to boost Germany’s armed forces is inadequate, shortly before the Cabinet was expected on Wednesday to approve the legislative proposal.
“The draft law is indeed an improvement compared to the last legislative period, but it still falls short when it comes to the strategic challenge of recruiting and retaining personnel,” the chairman of the Bundeswehr Association, André Wüstner, told dpa.
His organization represents the interests of some 200,000 active soldiers, reservists and former military personnel.
Wüstner said staffing levels were largely stagnant among temporary and career soldiers.
Defence Ministry figures showed at the beginning of 2025 there were 170,800 professional soldiers in Germany, rising to 171,650 as of July 1. Under NATO goals, their ranks are to grow to around 260,000 in the coming years.
“But the draft law so far contains no approach whatsoever to creating more attractive conditions for this profession, whether through new service and career models or a separate pay system that takes account of the special nature of military service,” Wüstner said. He hoped this would be addressed in legislation planned for 2026.
Bundeswehr soldiers march during a military ceremony in front of Bellevue Palace in Berlin. Malin Wunderlich/dpa
