Germany may reintroduce compulsory military service if a revamped volunteer system fails to achieve recruitment targets, according to the defense minister as reported on Saturday.
In statements to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Boris Pistorius outlined the schedule for Germany’s new military service model, designed to strengthen the undermanned army. The initial approach will be based on voluntary recruitment, but Pistorius cautioned that this approach could change.
“If a situation arises where we have more capacity than voluntary recruits, a decision may be made to switch to mandatory enlistment. That is the plan,” he explained.
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU defense ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
He said the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz is moving quickly on a new military service bill and hopes it will come into force as early as January 2026.
The debate over reinstating conscription in Germany has been intensifying as concerns rise about national defense readiness and evolving security threats in Europe.
Germany suspended its draft in 2011, but has struggled to meet troop targets as defense demands grow following Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pistorius also said the military service plan would include efforts to reactivate more reservists.
