The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl, has criticized the slow pace of the Bundeswehr towards full operational readiness. “Although the first projects are on the way, our soldiers have not received a cent from the special fund by 2022. The procurement system is too sluggish,” writes the SPD politician in her annual report presented in Berlin on Tuesday. She states: “The troops’ ledgers have become fuller, but the clothing stores, ammunition depots and spare parts stores have not.”
There has seldom been such a great social consensus as after the change of era proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, says Högl. With reference to expert opinions, she pleads for a financing framework that goes well beyond the 100 billion from the special pot. “The 100 billion euros alone will not be enough to compensate for all the shortfalls. According to military experts, a total of 300 billion euros would be needed for this.”
The Commissioner for the Armed Forces is concerned about the number of personnel in the Bundeswehr and doubts that the target number of 203,000 soldiers can be achieved by 2031. At the end of last year, the number of personnel was 183,051, a slight decrease compared to 2021 (183,695 soldiers). There was a drop of eleven percent in the number of applicants. In addition, the potential and the need to catch up when hiring women are not being fully exploited. Högl: “Even including the medical service, the proportion of female soldiers is only 13.21 percent.”
According to Article 45b of the Basic Law, the Commissioner for the Armed Forces assists the Bundestag in parliamentary control of the armed forces. But she is also considered the advocate for the soldiers, who can turn to her at any time.
