The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Andriach's remarks, quoting the German network Deutschland, indicated the need for a greater number of soldiers to protect vital defense infrastructure, a number that cannot currently be achieved solely through volunteers.
Heine explained that the current plan relies on increasing the number of volunteers to avoid resorting to compulsory conscription, but added that the likelihood of returning to compulsory service increases as military needs increase. In his interview, he did not reveal specific details about the nature of these compulsory elements.
He indicated that the army is ready to call up its first batch of volunteers this year. This comes in light of the ruling coalition agreement between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which calls for a new model of military service based initially on volunteerism. This compromise is a compromise between the SPD's demands, which emphasize voluntary service, and the CDU's demands to end the suspension of compulsory conscription.
Germany suspended conscription in 2011 under former Defense Minister Karl-Heinz zu Guttenberg, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a measure that effectively abolished both military and civilian service.
