Germany weighs allowing foreign citizens into the army
January 22, 2024
A proposal to allow foreign citizens to serve in the German army, known as the Bundeswehr, could be extended to Europeans in countries outside of the EU.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had initially put forward the idea of welcoming non-Germans to enlist in order to combat a drastic shortage of personnel.
In addition to Pistorius from the Social Democrats, the idea has also received support from lawmakers belonging to one of its two coalition partners, the FDP, plus the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
However, questions remain about how such a plan would be implemented.
Free Democratic Party (FDP) member Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who chairs the German parliament's defense committee, told DW that she can envision opening up the German army to candidates from across the continent.
She said candidates could initially come from the EU as well as countries like the United Kingdom, a former EU member, as well as neutral Switzerland. But there is also scope beyond these countries.
"I think that Europe also needs to be considered further, namely those who may live in European states but which do not yet belong to the European Union, but which may well be in accession negotiations," Strack-Zimmermann said in an interview with DW's Nina Haase.
"I don't want to tie it down like that, because it has to be legally scrutinized," she added.
'Bolder, bigger and more European'
Strack-Zimmermann called on lawmakers to "think a little bolder and bigger and more European."
"We are already working towards the goal of having a European army in the long term," she said.
She pointed to Germany's army cooperating closely with its counterparts in France and the Netherlands.
"And that's why in the long term, if you think in a European way, it can no longer matter what nationality a soldier has within this European framework," Strack-Zimmermann told DW.
Beyond Europe, Strack-Zimmermann said the ability to enlist in the German army could even be "extended to NATO," but added that this would be dependent on political developments in individual member countries like the United States and Canada.
A spokesperson for the Bundeswehr told DW that the proposal "is not about filling gaps with foreigners" but rather an open discussion led by Pistorius about the future of the armed forces.
"Allowing EU citizens to serve in the armed forces is not a new issue," the spokesperson added.
"There are actually exceptional cases for soldiers when there is an official need."
An opportunity for residents in Germany
Allowing people from other nationalities to serve in the Bundeswehr would also open the door for many people who were born and raised in Germany but who do not hold German citizenship, Strack-Zimmermann noted.
"For example, here in Düsseldorf," she said, referring to her hometown.
"There are more than 10,000 Greeks living here in Düsseldorf, so many young people in the second or third generation who — although they have been in Germany for so long — still have a Greek passport. Because of emotion, because of whatever reason, it's none of our business."
"If someone says, 'I can imagine myself joining the Bundeswehr,' then I think we should look into this possibility," she said.
"And if they want a German passport having served in the army, then we should look at the possibility that they get one quicker than others."
War-ready within eight years
Germany's defense minister said the army should be ready for war within five-to-eight years.
Strack-Zimmermann believes boosting army personnel to the required level is feasible within this period.
"But I'm leaning more towards five years rather than eight years," she added. "That means there's quite a bit of pressure, there's no question about that."
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, European countries have had to rethink their defense strategies.
"The fact that the Baltic states are also thinking about really building bulwarks on the Russian border shows how serious this is," she added.
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