The government of the German Foreign Minister, Friedrich Merz, approved on Wednesday the bill for a new military service in Germany, initially based on volunteers, which will predictably enter into force at the beginning of 2026 and that is part of the plans of the European giant. In this way, for the first time in 15 years, all 18 -year -old Germans must answer the question of whether they want to provide military service. And those who do it affirmatively and selected, would provide the service for a minimum time of six months.
“Our common goal is to strengthen the German army staff according to current needs. We want to make military service more attractive and attract younger people at the service of the Armed Forces. It is an important step,” Merz said in the press conference after the cabinet meeting, which was held, for the first time in three decades, in the Ministry of Defense to send the signal that “security occupies a prominent place in the political agenda of this government.” The conservative leader has stressed that, if he sees that it is “necessary to make adjustments”, he will do them, so he leaves the door for military service to become mandatory in the future.
After losing World War II, Germany did not have armed forces until 1955, a decision that opened a great debate on whether it was morally responsible for Germany to have its own army again after the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. Subsequently, after German reunification in 1990 and the end of the Cold War, the number of troops was reduced until the German government decided to suspend mandatory military service in 2011, and since then the Armed Forces are professionals. The army has never had great popularity in Germany due to the history of the country. But since Russia launched the large -scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the German Ministry of Defense has undertaken a great marketing campaign to make the Armed Forces attractive.
The German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, has been working for some time for the Army to be suitable for war through structural reform. “I have made it clear that, as regards Germany and our security architecture, armed forces that work is a prerequisite for the country to work,” said the Social Democratic Minister in the joint press conference with Merz.
Pistorius recalled the great debate that has been around the new law, and remarked that “it is not any law but a true step forward”, a text that makes clear the need to increase the effective “better today than tomorrow” but planning that “long -term” increase and in a “sustainable” way. To do this, it seeks to change the mentality of society, especially among young people, and “promote responsibility for this service to the country.” In their opinion, young people will reflect on what they can contribute to the country or if they do not care when they receive the questionnaire and have to make the decision.
“The German army must grow, the situation of international security, demands it. We not only need well -equipped troops, in that we are working at full speed, we have been doing it for two and a half years and we are not going to stop. But we also need an army with an endowment of solid personnel,” insisted the Minister of Defense, while stressed that only with a strong army you can prevent wars.
As soon as the law enters into force, once it is approved in the German Parliament, a letter will be sent to all men and women born from January 2008 to answer the question of whether they would be willing to do military service voluntarily.
The objective is that the German army has passed, towards the end of the decade, of the 180,000 current soldiers to 260,000; That, added to a reserve that is sought to increase from the current 100,000 troops to 200,000, would raise the total number of available military from Germany to 460,000.
However, this voluntary character can only be maintained if it is possible to recruit enough soldiers. The draft law includes the possibility of “introducing the obligation of basic military service even outside a tension or defense situation, if German Bundestag approves it.” “If during the next one, two or three years we see that the objectives are not achieved, then we have established in the law a mechanism that will lead to a greater commitment, which will require a new decision of the Cabinet and Parliament,” Merz acknowledged.
Pistorius, however, was “optimistic” and trusted to achieve the objectives without taking that step. “The experiences of Sweden and other countries teach us that it can work. Especially if it is attractive in terms of remuneration and equipment, but also in terms of training,” said the minister, and recalled that the figures of voluntary enlistment, even before these improvements ,.
This voluntary character of the new military service has been one of the main dispute points among the partners of the coalition government. While social democrats defend the formula, many conservative voices insist on the need to introduce an automatic mechanism that makes the mili mandatory in case of not having enough recruits, as in the Swedish model, without the need to go through Parliament; or that it is directly a mandatory mili, as claimed by the leader of the Christian Union (CSU), Markus Söder.
Difference between men and women
The contacted men will be obliged to fill in a digital questionnaire, under penalty of fine; Women will not be obliged. The reason for this difference in treatment is that, in the case of men, the mandatory military service was suspended in 2011: it was not eliminated. To make the questionnaire mandatory in the case of women, the Constitution should be modified.
The questionnaire will include personal data, such as management, marital status, other nationalities and academic training, as well as a self -assessment of physical form. The selected volunteers will be invited later to a medical exam. From 2028, this will be mandatory for all 18 -year -old men and will apply until 25 years, even if they have not expressed interest in military service. With this military registry, a more concrete image of “how many recruits are really available for military service” can be obtained if mandatory military service was restored.
The minimum service duration will be adjusted in “flexible form”, so that the basic military service could last, for example, six or nine months. However, at least six months are mentioned. This time is what they consider necessary to learn basic military skills. Pistorius expects a large part of the recruits to be decided to prolong their period of service, which would also be financially rewarded. You can also freely choose where you want to serve: Marina, Navy, Air Force or specialized units in cyberspace.
According to the inspector General of the German Armed Forces, Carsten Breuer, Germany needs 460,000 soldiers, including the reservists, in order to defend itself and the NATO territories in case of emergency. The German army, with 183,100 men and women in service currently, is far from reaching that figure. To increase it and meet the objective of recruiting about 20,000 soldiers in 2026, the new law seeks to make military service more attractive at several levels, such as the economic or the possibility of carrying out professional training courses or taking the driving card.
The recruits will be classified as “temporary soldiers”, which will imply a salary for the lower degrees of about 2,300 euros net per month. In addition, they will be offered free accommodation, food and free train and free medical assistance, that is, they will not have to pay for medical insurance contributions. And those who commit beyond the basic military service will receive an economic premium.
In addition to the Law on Military Service, the Federal Government announced on Wednesday its decision to create a National Security Council. This organ will meet in case of crisis and may make quick decisions, but will also develop strategies for threat situations and address security in a coordinated manner.
