Men over 18 years of age may be selected to serve based on aptitude criteria described in medical examinations
The parties of the ruling coalition reached an agreement to establish a military service process that determines the mandatory enlistment of all men over the age of 18 on Thursday (13.Nov.2025). The measure ends the current exclusively voluntary model and requires citizens born on or after January 1, 2008 to report to the Armed Forces –Bundeswehr–, undergo medical examinations and fill out a questionnaire. “motivation and aptitude”.
Mandatory enlistment, however, does not mean automatic return to mandatory military service. The government intends to work with recruitment targets filled by volunteers. If the annual target is reached, surpluses will be waived.
If the number of volunteers falls below what is needed, the –– may decide, at a later date, to adopt a compulsory recruitment system based on demand. The project needs to be approved by the Bundestag before it comes into force.
GERMANY WANTS TO INCREASE PERFORMANCE
The country suspended mandatory military service in 2011 and has since relied exclusively on volunteers. At the moment, the Russian advance in Ukraine and growing tensions on NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) borders
pressured Berlin to reinforce its military capabilities.
The Minister of Defense, , states that the country must be prepared for a possible war by 2029. This year, the Bundeswehr opened a unit dedicated to the protection of critical infrastructure and opened the first brigade based abroad since the Second World War.
To expand the contingent, the government set the goal of increasing the number of active military personnel from the current 180,000 to more than 260,000, in addition to forming a reserve of another 200,000. The lack of staff has generated internal debate and led Berlin to review policies adopted in the last decade.
In 2024, the government had approved a project that forced 18-year-old men to answer a questionnaire about health and willingness to serve. The initiative failed to increase the total number of soldiers, and the intermediate target of 203 thousand soldiers was not achieved.
WHAT CHANGES
The current plan goes a step further by requiring all men born after January 1, 2008, to report to a military unit for mandatory medical examinations. The questionnaire “motivation and aptitude” remains an essential step.
The legislation is expected to come into force in early 2026. According to the newspaper, medical records will be used to determine who can be called up in the event of war. The objective is to increase the number of young people qualified as reservists and, if necessary, call up the most capable without resorting to lottery as a first alternative.
The model will also provide incentives for those who volunteer, such as salaries in the range of €2,600 per month – around R$15,900 – and the possibility of extending service time. Anyone who serves for at least 12 months will receive temporary soldier status, with the right to additional benefits — including stipends to obtain a driver’s license.
Excerpts of the plan obtained by the newspaper indicate that the Bundestag will decide by law whether to later introduce need-based compulsory military service. Only if all measures are insufficient and there are more recruits than vacancies, can a lottery be used as a last resort. The government states that there will be no automatic activation of the obligation to serve.
OPEN POINTS
Despite progress, the plan leaves points open. It is not yet clear what will happen if a selected recruit refuses to carry weapons. There is also no definition of the treatment applied to women. According to the German Constitution, mandatory female conscription can only be instituted through a constitutional amendment — which requires a 2/3 majority in Parliament.
Deutsche Welle is Germany’s international broadcaster and produces independent journalism in 30 languages. Follow us no | | | | | |
