“We will probably … not be able to manage with the current voluntary system alone, but will need additional elements of compulsory military service,” said Merz at an event to mark the “Day of Industry” in Berlin.
(https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/26/world/europe/germany-army-recruitment.html)
Germany Wants Recruits. But ‘No One Wants Their Children in the Army.’