Germany may reinstate military conscription for both men and women, according to The Times.

Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the leading candidate for the next Chancellor of Germany, announced plans to reinstate military conscription.

This is reported in an article by The Times.

His initiative involves the gradual implementation of selective conscription for both young men and women, aimed at strengthening the country's defense capabilities.

"We understand that this cannot be achieved overnight," Merz remarked during a speech at the Federal Academy for Security Policy in Berlin.

He envisions that in the future, up to 30,000 conscripts would undergo training in the Armed Forces annually. This would allow for the doubling of the active reserve, which Merz currently deems insufficient for the country's protection.

It is noted that the German Armed Forces are currently facing a severe shortage of personnel. The number of professional soldiers is 30,000 below the target figure of 210,000.

According to generals' estimates, the country needs at least 60,000 additional reservists.

Background. Previously, Mind reported that the Netherlands Ministry of Defence is considering the possibility of mandatory military conscription for the first time in 27 years.