BERLIN (AP) — On Friday, German legislators passed a new initiative aimed at increasing military recruitment as concerns over threats from Russia grow. This initiative also includes plans to make health checkups mandatory for young individuals.
While it doesn’t reinstate conscription, it does leave the door open for mandatory military service for a select few if necessary.
The Bundestag, which is the lower chamber of parliament, voted in favor by 323 votes to 272, with one abstention. This is an updated version of a proposal initially approved by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet in August.
Germany is investing heavily—billions, in fact—to upgrade its military resources after years of underfunding, with a strong focus on attracting more volunteers.
Countries like China are also looking to bolster their military forces. Just last week, France unveiled plans to train thousands of 18- and 19-year-old volunteers starting next year. Meanwhile, Belgium and Poland are also working on initiatives to recruit more individuals for military service.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remarked to lawmakers that “our allies are paying attention to Germany,” suggesting that the nation has become “a leader in European defense.” He emphasized that this new law is a significant advancement in enhancing the country’s defense capabilities.
Since abolishing conscription for men back in 2011, Germany has faced challenges in recruiting a substantial number of short-term volunteers. Recently, military personnel counts have hovered just above 180,000, a stark drop from the 300,000 in 2001, of which over a third were conscripts.
The current goal is to increase military strength to 260,000 personnel within the next decade, alongside a need for about 200,000 reservists, more than double the current figures.
The newly approved plans are set to include enhanced pay and working conditions for short-term recruits, improved training opportunities, and greater flexibility regarding service duration, beginning at a minimum of six months.
The aim is to draw enough recruits without bringing back compulsory military service, which isn’t popular with the centre-left partners in Merz’s coalition.
Still, it remains a possibility that Congress might implement mandatory service for a limited number of individuals chosen at random, particularly if national defense needs or military staffing issues arise. Many conservatives within Merz’s party think conscription might become necessary at some point.
Beginning in January 2027, the Department of Defense will need to update Congress biannually on new recruits. The law establishes annual targets for military and reserve sizes over the next decade, although there’s no automatic move toward conscription.
Starting in the upcoming year, young people reaching the age of 18 will be asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their willingness and capability to serve. This won’t obligate them to join the military, but will now include mandatory medical evaluations. The Bundeswehr, Germany’s military, needs to accommodate around 300,000 soldiers annually.
Opposition lawmaker Desiree Becker from the Left Party urged young citizens to “protest against the resurrection of conscription” and to learn about their rights to conscientious objection.
Pistorius expressed openness to public demonstrations against the plan. He emphasized that he believes more young people are “willing to take on responsibilities” than opponents suggest, acknowledging that “nobody is forcing anyone to do anything other than fill out a health questionnaire…our health services are harmless.”
“This military service is voluntary and will remain so if everything unfolds as we plan,” he stated. “However, if we find that isn’t sufficient, and if threats continue to evolve as they have, we may have to consider partial compulsory military service to safeguard our nation.”
Ten EU nations—Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden—currently practice some form of compulsory military service.
