Germany will now have mandatory military conscription

The German government wants to reach the target of 260,000 active military personnel. Federico Gambarini/dpa/picture alliance via DW Germany’s ruling coalition parties have reached an agreement to establish a new military service process that requires mandatory military enlistment for all men over the age of 18. According to the German government, the goal is to increase the number of active military personnel to more than 260,000 and build a base of 200,000 reservists, all with the aim of preparing the country for a possible war by 2029. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The plan would end the current exclusively voluntary model and now require all men born after January 1, 2008 to report to the German Armed Forces, undergo medical examinations and complete a “motivation and aptitude” questionnaire. The new enlistment requirement, however, does not lead to mandatory military service. The German Army will start working with military service goals that must be fulfilled by volunteer candidates. If the target is reached, the excess contingent will be waived. See the videos that are trending on g1 According to the agreed plan, if the number of volunteers is too low, however, the German Parliament could later decide on a system of mandatory military recruitment based on demand. This model may include a random selection process to fill vacancies, but the details of how this distribution would happen have not yet been established. The text still needs to pass through Parliament to be approved. Germany tries to increase troops Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011 and, since then, has depended on volunteers to fill the ranks of the Armed Forces. Currently, young people who turn 18 do not need to go through enlistment. However, the Russian advance in Ukraine and growing tensions on the borders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pressured the country to strengthen the operational capabilities of the Armed Forces. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has already indicated that Germany must be prepared for a possible war by 2029. This year alone, the Army inaugurated a new military unit to protect the country’s critical infrastructure and opened its first brigade abroad since World War II. Friedrich Merz Ralf Hirschberger/AFP To achieve this objective, however, the armed forces need more personnel, which has been generating intense debate in the country. The objective announced by the government is to increase the number of active military personnel from the current 180,000 to more than 260,000, in addition to another 200,000 reservists. In November 2024, the government of former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz approved a bill that required 18-year-old males to complete a survey on physical and health conditions, in addition to indicating their willingness to serve in the Army. The expectation was that the process would lead more young people to serve in the military. But as the target proposed at the time, of reaching 203,000 active military personnel, remained far from being achieved, politicians raised concerns that the government’s plans would be insufficient. What changes? Germany has approved a bill that allows it to increase investment in the Armed Forces BBC German Army Battle Fighter. Getty Images The current agreement moves forward by requiring all men born after January 1, 2008 to report to a military unit and undergo mandatory medical examinations. Completing the “motivation and aptitude” questionnaire to serve in the armed forces also remains necessary. Pistorius intends for the proposed legislation to come into force at the beginning of 2026. According to documents obtained by the German newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, medical records would be needed to determine who the Army could call up in the event of war. The main objective is mainly to increase the number of young people who become reservists. With it, in case of need, the demand would not be filled by drawing lots of new recruits, but based on the assessment of who would be most capable of serving. For Pistorius, it is about assessing who is “truly capable of acting in the event of a defense emergency and knowing exactly who is fit to be called up”, he said on Monday. The model also provides incentives for those who volunteer to serve, such as better salaries, which should be around 2,600 euros (R$15,900) per month, and the possibility of extending service time. In addition, anyone who serves for at least 12 months will receive temporary soldier status and will therefore be entitled to other benefits, such as a stipend for obtaining a driver’s license. According to excerpts of the plan obtained by the newspaper “Welt”, the German Parliament will decide by law on the subsequent introduction of compulsory military service based on necessity, “especially if the defense policy situation or the situation of armed forces personnel so requires”, says the text. “If the number of recruits in a given year exceeds the number required, a random selection process may be used as a last resort, after exemptions from military service and all other measures have been applied. There will be no automatic activation of compulsory military service.” Open questions In addition to the details of how the lottery to fill vacancies would be carried out, other questions remain open. Among them, it is not defined what will happen if a recruit presents himself, is chosen to serve, but refuses to take up arms. It has also not been defined how the rule applies to women. German law requires that female conscription can only be instituted if there is an amendment to the Constitution, which can only be passed with a two-thirds majority of Parliament.

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