This year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to build Germany, whose army had been neglected for years, the most powerful army in Europe. To achieve this ambition, the government is focusing, in the first phase, on increasing the number of soldiers by attracting volunteers, reports CNN.
Germany's ruling coalition last week agreed on a new mechanism to strengthen the German armed forces, including the option of compulsory military service. The measures come in the context of the perceived threat from Russia and a significant change in US foreign policy, the cited source emphasizes.
Thus, through the new reforms, Germany wants to increase its forces from 180,000 soldiers to 260,000 soldiers – plus another 200,000 reservists. The deadline for reaching this target is 2035.
Offer for volunteers
In the first phase, the effort will focus on voluntary enlistment, with greater incentives for those who sign up, including a starting monthly salary of 2,600 euros. The salary is 450 euros higher than the one currently received.
If the new quotas are not met, the government will have the option to resort to compulsory conscription where necessary.
Starting January 1, 2026, all 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire regarding their interest in serving in the military. For boys, its completion will be mandatory. From 2027, 18-year-old men will also have to undergo mandatory medical checks.
This measure comes in the context in which the Trump administration warns that Europe must take responsibility for its own security, Russia's war in Ukraine continues, and experts in the region suggest that there is a risk that Moscow will invade a NATO member state, CNN points out.
Germany has the potential to play a key role in Europe's conventional defence, given its central geographical position, believes Minna Ålander, research associate in the Europe Program of the Chatham House think tank in London.
“If the plans to reach the new staff numbers come to fruition, it will be a great thing for Europe, but that will most likely happen sometime in the 2030s,” she said.
Whether this will be fast enough remains to be seen, the quoted source added.
“Recruitment by drawing lots”
German army chief General Carsten Breuer said in an interview with the BBC in June that NATO should prepare for a possible Russian attack in the next four years, possibly as early as 2029, and urged member states to be ready.
Before the adoption of the new law, the coalition partners – the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the center-left Social Democratic Union (SPD) – debated for weeks on what type of military service should be introduced.
One of the ideas was “recruitment by lot,” which would have involved a random selection of young men for medical examinations, followed by another lot to call them into service.
The proposal was ultimately rejected by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who said recruitment should focus on incentives such as better wages and other financial compensation.
Germany previously had compulsory military service for men between the ages of 18 and 23, but this was suspended in 2011 in favor of an all-volunteer army.
The deal must be approved by the German parliament, and lawmakers should put it to a vote by the end of the year. If this happens, it will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Pistorius, a member of the SPD, welcomed the measure while trying to reassure those targeted.
“There is no cause for concern, no cause for fear,” he said after the deal was announced.
“The lesson is quite clear: the more capable our armed forces are of deterrence and defense, through weaponry, training and personnel, the less likely we are to engage in conflict,” he added.
Is Germany setting a precedent?
Pistorius suggested that Berlin's new military system could set an example for other European allies.
“Everybody's watching what we're doing,” he said.
“I am in close contact with (French Prime Minister) Sebastian Lecornu and his successor and of course with the United Kingdom and other countries… Our new recruitment model is quite modern. It is very modern. And could it be an example for other countries? I don't know, but it could be,” Pistorius added.
What Germans think about conscription
The changes remain controversial. Many, especially on the political left in Germany, oppose the reintroduction of any form of conscription.
A Forsa poll published by Die Welt newspaper in October, before the reforms were announced, indicated that 80 percent of voters in Germany's left-wing Die Linke party said they were against the idea.
However, researcher Ålander believes that reaching the quotas without resorting to conscription is not unrealistic given the size of Germany's population.
“If the government and the armed forces could significantly improve the perception of the military and motivate young people to start considering military service as a 'normal' choice, the goal could be achieved only through voluntary participation,” she told CNN.
The reluctance of young people in Germany to be subject to conscription is obvious.
One of them questioned the idea of compulsory conscription.
“Of course it's important to be able to defend ourselves. But that's why we're in the NATO alliance… I love Germany. I wouldn't say I want to fight for this country now… I have a different life in mind than being at war,” the 17-year-old told CNN.
Years of neglect
Germany's armed forces, or the Bundeswehr, have been chronically underfunded since the Cold War.
For three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany's military spending remained below 2% of GDP – below the target set by NATO, amid a lack of threat perception, a taboo about the country's military power and a deeply pacifist mentality, a result of the Nazi era.
Then came Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Amid calls in Europe to be “ready for war”, this triggered a significant shift in the country's outlook.
Former chancellor Olaf Scholz proclaimed a “Zeitenwende” – or “period of change” – which led to the creation of a special 100 billion euro fund to modernize the Bundeswehr.
