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Germany to Reinstate Military Service After 14 Years Amid Rising Security Threats
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Germany’s coalition partners announced a compromise over new rules on military service — a key step in the country’s broader effort to rebuild its armed forces after decades of downsizing, Reuters reported on November 13.
The model, agreed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the centre-left Social Democrats, establishes a hybrid system built around voluntary service with the option of a mandatory call-up if needed.
All 18-year-old men and women will be required to fill out a questionnaire assessing their motivation and fitness for duty, while medical examinations will begin next year for those born in 2008 and expand gradually.
“We will make voluntary service more attractive—we want to get as many young people excited about serving their country,” said Jens Spahn, parliamentary leader of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union. “If in the end voluntary service isn’t enough, there will have to be a mandatory element.”
Germany currently has about 182,000 uniformed troops and aims to expand the Bundeswehr to 255,000–270,000 soldiers, supported by an additional 200,000 reservists. The reform also introduces mandatory registration and medical screening, while any full conscription would still require a separate parliamentary vote. Recruits are expected to receive a monthly allowance of €2,600 (about $2,800).
Reuters highlights that the agreement follows weeks of negotiations on how to bolster troop numbers without undermining public support. It marks a major shift in defence policy, driven by the Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing security concerns across Europe.
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Merz has pledged to rebuild the Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army, echoing warnings from Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, who last year said Germany must be ready for war by 2029. The government has already begun an unprecedented defence overhaul to raise billions of euros for military modernization.
“Given the sharp rise in the level of threat in Europe as a result of Russia’s war against Ukraine, the German Armed Forces are focusing even more decisively on national and collective defense and are creating the necessary structures for this purpose,” a Bundestag statement said. “The new military service is a central element of this development.”
Germany suspended mandatory service in 2011, but the legal framework remained intact. The new model, expected to take effect in 2026, blends voluntary enlistment with the ability to reintroduce selective conscription.
Earlier, it was reported that Germany plans to increase its financial support for Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia to over $13.3 billion in 2026.
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