The Czech Armed Forces are grappling with a severe personnel shortage—an issue that, according to defense officials, has become even more pressing than funding.
Defense Minister Jana Černochová and Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka have raised alarms, warning that recruitment levels are too low to meet the country’s defense needs.
“Unfortunately, public interest is not as high as we would like—or more importantly, as we need,” Černochová admitted during a Czech Army command meeting on Tuesday.
“We lack both professionals and reservists, even though their numbers are slowly growing. And unfortunately, there is no simple solution to fix this problem quickly,” she added.
Currently, the Czech Army has around 23,600 soldiers—far below the previous goal of 30,000 by 2030. This figure also falls short of new defense plans, which state that the army must reach at least 37,500 personnel to fulfill NATO commitments and respond to rising security threats. Last year’s recruitment campaign resulted in a net increase of only 176 soldiers.
“At the current pace, it is clear that we won’t make it,” Řehka warned.
“If a system isn’t working, it needs to change,” he stated, adding that in order to meet defense obligations, the army must increase its numbers by 14,000 soldiers—about 60%—over the next decade.
While the Czech government is increasing defense spending, the personnel shortage remains a critical issue.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala emphasized that military funding growth is a long-term process, with an annual increase of 0.2% of GDP considered realistic. In 2024, for the first time in modern history, the country met its NATO defense spending commitment of 2% of GDP.
Despite the grim outlook, Řehka remains hopeful. “I am an optimist: there are still enough people in our nation who are determined to defend their country. And I believe that when the need arises, we will find such heroes,” he said.
