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| German Army Considers Recruiting Foreign Citizens | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| BERLIN — Concerned about filling its ranks seven years after abolishing mandatory military service, Germany is looking into recruiting foreigners for service, according to reports released on Thursday, though there were conflicting accounts of the extent of those plans. | BERLIN — Concerned about filling its ranks seven years after abolishing mandatory military service, Germany is looking into recruiting foreigners for service, according to reports released on Thursday, though there were conflicting accounts of the extent of those plans. |
| Gen. Eberhard Zorn, the chief of defense, said the military, or Bundeswehr, was considering enlisting foreign citizens for highly specialized roles, like doctors and information technology specialists. | |
| “In times of skilled labor shortage, we have to look in all directions,” he said in an interview with the Funke Media group, which was widely reported by other German news organizations. | “In times of skilled labor shortage, we have to look in all directions,” he said in an interview with the Funke Media group, which was widely reported by other German news organizations. |
| Hours after his comments appeared, the newsmagazine Der Spiegel published an article about a leaked government report indicating that plans to recruit citizens of other European Union countries were broader and more concrete than the narrow, tentative notion aired by General Zorn. | Hours after his comments appeared, the newsmagazine Der Spiegel published an article about a leaked government report indicating that plans to recruit citizens of other European Union countries were broader and more concrete than the narrow, tentative notion aired by General Zorn. |
| According to the magazine, the report discussed adding large numbers of foreigners between the ages of 18 and 40 to the Bundeswehr, in a variety of roles. In particular, it suggested that the nearly two million Poles, Italians and Romanians already living in Germany would make good candidates. | According to the magazine, the report discussed adding large numbers of foreigners between the ages of 18 and 40 to the Bundeswehr, in a variety of roles. In particular, it suggested that the nearly two million Poles, Italians and Romanians already living in Germany would make good candidates. |
| A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense would not comment on the authenticity of the leaked report, but said that any plans under consideration were limited to highly trained recruits for clearly defined roles. | A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense would not comment on the authenticity of the leaked report, but said that any plans under consideration were limited to highly trained recruits for clearly defined roles. |
| The armed forces have about 180,000 troops, about one-third as many as the former West Germany had in 1990, but the government has committed to expanding the military in the next few years. | The armed forces have about 180,000 troops, about one-third as many as the former West Germany had in 1990, but the government has committed to expanding the military in the next few years. |
| There has already been some public debate in recent years about whether non-Germans have a place in the Bundeswehr in a modern, immigrant-friendly nation that is deeply integrated in the European Union. Last July, politicians sparred over whether foreigners serving under the German flag would be given access to German citizenship. | There has already been some public debate in recent years about whether non-Germans have a place in the Bundeswehr in a modern, immigrant-friendly nation that is deeply integrated in the European Union. Last July, politicians sparred over whether foreigners serving under the German flag would be given access to German citizenship. |
| Several European countries allow citizens of other European Union members to serve in their militaries. But Germany’s history of militarism and conscription of the people of conquered nations makes the idea particularly delicate. | Several European countries allow citizens of other European Union members to serve in their militaries. But Germany’s history of militarism and conscription of the people of conquered nations makes the idea particularly delicate. |
| Germany and other NATO countries have clashed publicly with President Trump, who has accused them of spending too little on their own defense, and the German Army is suffering from poorly maintained equipment. According to news reports, the Bundeswehr had to scrape together everything from tanks to body armor to be able to participate in this year’s NATO maneuvers in Norway. | Germany and other NATO countries have clashed publicly with President Trump, who has accused them of spending too little on their own defense, and the German Army is suffering from poorly maintained equipment. According to news reports, the Bundeswehr had to scrape together everything from tanks to body armor to be able to participate in this year’s NATO maneuvers in Norway. |
| Since 2014, Germany’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, has tried to boost recruitment by making the military seem more modern and appealing. | Since 2014, Germany’s defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, has tried to boost recruitment by making the military seem more modern and appealing. |
| “It boils down to the question, what is the Bundeswehr?” said Sönke Neitzel, a military historian at the University of Potsdam. “Is it a fighting force or a corporation?” | “It boils down to the question, what is the Bundeswehr?” said Sönke Neitzel, a military historian at the University of Potsdam. “Is it a fighting force or a corporation?” |
| Although there are already several German divisions that include brigades from other countries, the plans being considered would put non-German Europeans in German uniforms for the first time since World War II. | Although there are already several German divisions that include brigades from other countries, the plans being considered would put non-German Europeans in German uniforms for the first time since World War II. |
| After the Cold War, the demand for soldiers grew smaller as Germany intentionally shrank its military, while reunification with East Germany made the population pool larger. The minimum span of a soldier’s service dropped to six months from 18. In 2011, the country ended conscription. | After the Cold War, the demand for soldiers grew smaller as Germany intentionally shrank its military, while reunification with East Germany made the population pool larger. The minimum span of a soldier’s service dropped to six months from 18. In 2011, the country ended conscription. |
| The military has changed significantly since the Cold War. It focuses far more on cyberwarfare and special forces, the number of women in uniform has increased and as Germany has grown more ethnically diverse so has the army. | The military has changed significantly since the Cold War. It focuses far more on cyberwarfare and special forces, the number of women in uniform has increased and as Germany has grown more ethnically diverse so has the army. |
| But attracting professionally trained personnel has been a problem. | But attracting professionally trained personnel has been a problem. |
| That is a problem in the private sector, too, in a country where the economy is growing but the working-age population is not. Karl Brenke, who studies the work force for the German Institute for Economic Research, says it has been very common for German employers to hire foreigners, especially people from the eastern countries of the European Union. | That is a problem in the private sector, too, in a country where the economy is growing but the working-age population is not. Karl Brenke, who studies the work force for the German Institute for Economic Research, says it has been very common for German employers to hire foreigners, especially people from the eastern countries of the European Union. |
| “Over half the workers hired in the recent economic expansion come from abroad,” he said. | “Over half the workers hired in the recent economic expansion come from abroad,” he said. |