German lawmakers backed a new military draft plan as the country seeks to bolster its long-undermanned and ill-equipped armed forces in the face of threats from Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
The reform is not limited to the introduction of compulsory military service, but also provides for compulsory tests for all men over the age of 18 as well as measures such as higher salaries to make military service more attractive.
Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he wants Germany to have the strongest conventional military in Europe at a time when the Trump administration has questioned his commitment to defending its traditional European allies.
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NATO goals require Germany to reach a total force of 460,000 men, consisting of 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. With only 182,000 active soldiers and around 49,000 reservists, the Bundeswehr is currently far from this.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) urged MPs to support the law, saying it was a “crucial step for our defense capability.” “Our allies are watching us,” he noted.
The law was approved by 323 MPs with 272 voting against and one abstention. It now goes to the House of Lords, which is expected to approve it before Christmas.
The plans had sparked a row within Merz’s coalition, with some in his own conservative CDU/CSU alliance calling for a quicker return to conscription, while Pistorius and the SPD argued for a voluntary model, at least for now.
Pistorius told MPs that parliament would have to discuss at least partially reintroducing conscription if the new measures did not attract enough recruits.
Both the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the far-left party Die Linke rejected the law.
Other European countries. The growing threat from Russia and the threat of renewed conflict in Europe have brought the continent’s diverse models of military service into the spotlight.
France, which suspended conscription in 1997, announced that it would reintroduce it, but now on a voluntary basis. Starting next summer it will last 10 months, mainly for 18 and 19 year olds. The Netherlands and Bulgaria made the same decision, albeit several years ago.
Belgium will introduce 12-month voluntary military service for men and women from next year.
In Denmark, the government expanded military service from four to eleven months last year and made it compulsory for women as of July 1st.
In Finland, conscripts serve for six, nine or twelve months, depending on their specialty and rank. Military service is voluntary for women.
In 2013, Norway also introduced 12-month military service for women, citing gender equality. Approximately 15% of each age group is selected based on their abilities, motivations and other criteria.
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