(de-news.net) – The Chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee, Thomas Röwekamp (CDU), has criticized the Federal Ministry of Defense for lacking a coherent modernization and force-generation strategy for the Bundeswehr, particularly regarding active personnel targets, reserve planning, and procurement coordination. He also urges reforms to make reserve training more binding by involving employers, arguing that voluntary structures are insufficient under current security conditions.
Röwekamp called for substantially greater transparency regarding the government’s planned military modernization agenda. He argued that the Federal Ministry of Defense has so far failed to present a coherent and internally consistent modernization framework capable of addressing the Bundeswehr’s structural challenges. In his assessment, a central unresolved issue remains the absence of a clearly defined force-generation strategy for active-duty personnel, which, he said, leaves open how the target strength of 260,000 soldiers is to be realistically achieved under current planning assumptions and recruitment conditions. He further criticized what he described as an insufficiently developed concept for the reserve forces, alongside the continued lack of an integrated procurement strategy that would align acquisition planning with broader defense readiness objectives.
Röwekamp also pointed out that, ahead of the committee’s scheduled meeting on Wednesday, no concrete agenda had been communicated, which he interpreted as indicative of broader planning deficiencies within the ministry. In addition, he recalled that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) had previously announced at a Bundeswehr conference that a comprehensive modernization program would be presented by Easter, implying that this commitment had yet to be substantively fulfilled.
Employers should be brought into mandatory participation framework, Röwekamp
In an earlier intervention, Röwekamp also argued that employers should be explicitly included within the framework of mandatory participation in order to reinforce reserve training obligations. He maintained that, in light of the current security environment, a reserve system relying exclusively on voluntary participation is no longer sufficient to meet operational demands or strategic expectations. From his perspective, any meaningful strengthening of the armed forces would require greater reliability, predictability, and enforceability in reserve activation procedures. He further criticized the existing “double voluntariness” arrangement, under which both reservists and employers must consent to training assignments, asserting that this structure undermines both operational preparedness and medium-term planning certainty for defense authorities. At the same time, he acknowledged that employer interests cannot be disregarded entirely, but stressed that national and alliance defense ultimately constitutes a collective societal responsibility that also serves the long-term interests of the economy and private enterprises.
Sensburg demands stronger job security for reservists
In response, Patrick Sensburg, President of the Reservists’ Association, emphasized that any move toward more mandatory reserve participation would require significantly strengthened legal and employment protections. While he expressed conditional support for abolishing the dual consent requirement, he cautioned that such reforms must not disadvantage former service members or create disincentives for companies to hire reservists. He further warned that, without robust safeguards against dismissal or professional disadvantage, reservists could be disproportionately affected in crisis or mobilization scenarios, thereby undermining the intended objective of improving operational availability and rapid deployability of reserve forces.
Ministry reassures freedom of movement
Separately, the Federal Ministry of Defense reiterated that, under the newly introduced military service regulations, men are permitted to undertake extended stays abroad without prior authorization. According to a ministry spokesperson, an accompanying administrative directive was issued to ensure legal clarity and to confirm the general principle of unrestricted freedom of movement. This clarification followed public debate triggered by a provision stating that men aged 17 to 45 would require approval for foreign stays exceeding three months, a clause that had raised questions about its scope and applicability. The ministry subsequently specified that this requirement is intended exclusively for a formally declared state of tension and would only become operative in the event that compulsory military service were reinstated under such conditions.
Looking ahead, the Bundeswehr is projected to expand to at least 260,000 active-duty personnel and 200,000 reservists by 2035. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had previously announced a legislative package aimed at strengthening the reserve component for the upcoming summer and also indicated that a formalized reserve strategy would be presented within the same timeframe, signaling an effort to systematize planning and accelerate implementation within the broader modernization trajectory.
Audio: TTSFree
