More Army pros may be recruited

The director general of Recruitment and Military Education, Jesus Maria Perez Esteban, said on Wednesday that the end of conscription in the year 2001 “will mean a greater effort in recruitment” on the part of the ministry of Defence and “organisation” on the part of the Headquarters of the Land, Sea and Air forces. Perez Esteban explained at a press conference that the end of “la mili” in 2001, as announced by the prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, during the electoral campaign, will not signify any great changes for his department, apart from “an additional effort, which I think we are capable of”. The director of Recruitment added, however, that if the Government consider it essential to increase the number of professional soldiers before 2001, a budgetary effort to propitiate recruitment would be necessary.