“I am skeptical,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said of the new model of voluntary military service that his government agreed upon in August. The lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, is expected to approve the measure, which will then take effect next year. The aim is to enable the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, to recruit the additional personnel it needs.
A draft bill provides incentives for young people who join the Bundeswehr. However, it does not include a plan for a return to compulsory military service.
In Germany, conscription is enshrined in the constitution, but it was suspended in 2011. It could be reinstated, but only in its previous form, which allowed just men to be drafted, while military service remained voluntary for women.
Doubts have been raised by lawmakers from Merz’ conservative bloc of Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) parties, who say a voluntary model cannot be the solution.
“I suspect it will not remain voluntary,” the chancellor said on Otober 5 in an interview on public broadcaster ARD.
Germany debates return to compulsory military service
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These remarks have fueled the debate about a return to compulsory military service, and were also seen as a snub to Merz’s coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), whose Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is responsible for the draft bill.
The coalition partners have now postponed the planned debate in parliament.
SPD Secretary General Tim Klüssendorf criticized the chancellor’s open display of skepticism. “We have agreed on a very clear path in the coalition: voluntary military service,” he said at a press conference in Berlin. Klüssendorf added that he could not understand why this was repeatedly being questioned by members of the CDU and CSU, and argued it was unsettling to young people that this debate was “constantly being rehashed.”
Bundeswehr needs to boost troop numbers
In light of the growing threat posed by Russia and new NATO commitments, the German government is hoping to turn around the Bundeswehr’s chronic underrecruitment. To that end, the Cabinet in August approved a new plan to have 260,000 active soldiers by the early 2030s, compared with 183,000 today. Officials also want the number of reservists to double in that time, with a set goal of 200,000.
At the time, Pistorius called the law “a giant step forward” and Chancellor Merz expressed confidence in the draft, sure that the targeted personnel numbers were within reach.
The draft law includes an obligation for all men to fill out a questionnaire when they turn 18. Women will also be sent the questionnaire, but are not obliged to fill it in.
Young people who respond positively to the questionnaire will be invited to attend a medical examination to assess their fitness for service. Beginning in July 2027, the examination will become obligatory for men, even if they opt out of serving.
Is mandatory military service on its way back in Germany?
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Free accommodation, healthcare, and travel
The Ministry of Defense wants to get an overview of the number of men eligible for the military. Since conscription was suspended, authorities no longer have any data on who would be available for service. The return to so-called ˈmilitary registrationˈ is intended to close this gap.
Under the new law, recruits would be trained over a period of six to 23 months. The first six months will be taken up with basic training, after which they can pursue further qualifications in one of the branches of the armed forces — the army, air force, navy, or cyber command.
Also part of the package is a plan to increase salaries, as well as provide them with free medical care, free accommodation, and free rail travel.
According to the Ministry of Defense, some 15,000 young people have signed up for basic training this year. “There is good reason to believe that we will see an increase of several thousand each year, reaching around 30,000 by 2029,” Pistorius said in August.
If the personnel targets are not met or Germany’s security situation deteriorates dramatically, the government could order a return to compulsory military service. This, however, would require parliamentary approval.
Divide along party lines
Conservative lawmakers want to see an automatic activation of conscription in the case that the scheme attracts too few volunteers.
Markus Söder, chairman of the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) repeatedly expressed criticism saying he sees “no way around” reintroducing conscription, and shared his conviction that the new plan will simply waste time and not increase recruitment at all.
The Social Democrats, however, are fundamentally skeptical about the reintroduction of compulsory service. Pistorius has stressed that the Bundeswehr would currently be unable to accommodate and train all eligible men if they were conscripted at once.
German army needs more volunteers to fulfill NATO tasks
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Young people are skeptical of conscription
The Bundeswehr is reporting a rise in the number of applicants.
However, a recent survey shows that enthusiasm among young people is also limited. According to a YouGov poll, a majority have no desire to do military service or any other form of compulsory service. Fifty-five percent of 16- to 26-year-olds in Germany reject the introduction of universal compulsory service, while only 38% are in favor, according to the survey conducted in July.
Germany’s Federal Student Council believes that the concerns of young people have not been taken into account. “No decision should be made about young people without consulting them first,” Quentin Gärtner, secretary general of the student council, told AFP news agency.
This article was originally written in German. It was first published on August 28, and later updated to reflect the ongoing discussion.
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