Catholic military bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck has called for Germany to bring back conscription quickly, arguing that the country’s security situation requires a larger Bundeswehr and cannot be solved through volunteers alone.

Overbeck said Germany’s plan to expand the Bundeswehr from just over 186,000 to 260,000 troops by the mid-2030s is unrealistic without compulsory service. He argued that conscription should apply to both men and women, with those unwilling to serve in the military required to complete a compulsory civilian service year.

Read the entire piece in Die Zeit.