Germany must focus on recruiting for its armed forces, said parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces Eva Hoegel, quoted by DPA and BTA.
Hoegel told DPA that Germany needs to recruit around 20,000 more soldiers to reach its target of 203,000 people in the armed forces.
She said that many vacant positions remain unfilled and that in many units of the army the operational readiness is only around 50%.
"This is clearly not enough", especially in the context of the security situation in connection with Russia's war against Ukraine, Hoegel stressed.
"I consider the personnel issue to be the most important issue in 2025", Högel also said.
She called for another attempt to introduce compulsory military service for young men and women.
"The personnel situation must be the top priority for everyone who is responsible for our policy" in this area, Högel said.
Earlier this year, the parliamentary commissioner warned that the personnel of the German armed forces were aging and shrinking.