BERLIN: Germany’s defence minister presented a proposed law yesterday promising more pay and perks for the military, including childcare provisions and free Internet access, in a bid to attract more recruits.
Numbers have dwindled since obligatory national service ended three years ago.
Germany’s armed forces, known as the Bundeswehr, have seen their ranks shrink to about 184,000 from 306,000 in 2001. Strong pacifist leanings in German society, partly in reaction to the militarism of the Nazis, make recruitment difficult.
Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen’s plan includes higher wages and pensions, part-time work, and modernised barracks with more television sets. Cabinet approved the plan yesterday.
“The operational state of the troops is important but personnel considerations are just as important,” she said at a news conference. “The big question is: why shouldn’t soldiers also be able to reconcile work and family life?”
Von der Leyen, considered a potential successor to the conservative chancellor, Angela Merkel, has spoken out in favour of Germany taking a more prominent role in global security.
This year Germany, which has been cautious about getting involved in conflicts in the post-war period, began sending arms to Kurdish fighters in Iraq fighting Islamic State insurgents.
But revelations that much of Germany’s military equipment is in disrepair and inadequate for combat have cast doubt on the country’s ability to fulfill its commitments to its Nato allies.
Reuters
