Morning bird: Germany is building the largest army in Europe. Inversion brought temperature records to the Czech Republic
Germany wants the largest conventional army in Europe and is also considering military service
The German coalition government has agreed on a new military service plan, which is to increase the number of soldiers. The new military service plan will require all 18-year-old men to fill out a questionnaire about their suitability for military service and to undergo a medical examination from 2027. The questionnaire is also intended for women, but they will fill it out voluntarily. The decision comes at a time when Berlin is trying to create the strongest conventional army in Europe.
At the beginning of this year, German Defense Minister General Carsten Breuer warned that the Western alliance NATO must prepare for a possible Russian attack within four years. When they formed a coalition at the beginning of this year, Merz's conservative CDU / CSU and the center-left social democratic SPD agreed to reintroduce military service, which would initially be voluntary. The Bundeswehr currently has about 182 000 soldiers. The new model of military service aims to increase this number by 20 000 next year and to 255 000 to 260 000 in 10 years, supplemented by approximately 200 000 reservists, reported BBC.
