New Delhi: The Bundestag, the national parliament of Germany, has approved a new military service framework, making it mandatory for 18-year-old men to report for inspection starting 2027.
While services remain voluntary, if recruitment targets fall short, a form of ‘needs-based conscription’ could be introduced. Accordingly, all men born after 1 January 2008, will undergo medical evaluation, phased in as capacity allows.
On Friday, MPs approved the change by a vote of 323 to 272, making Germany the latest European country to introduce a new form of military service, after France, Italy and Belgium. Compulsory conscription was stopped in 2011.
The move has prompted massive public pushback. According to a BBC report, more than 90 German cities have joined in strikes against the Bundestag decision.
Coming amid the Russia-Ukraine war and a shift in US foreign policy with Donald Trump claiming Europe is in ‘civilisational decline’, the move aims to follow German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s push to create the strongest conventional army in Europe.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said universal medical examinations are essential so that, in the event of an attack, Germany does not lose time determining “who is operationally capable as a homeland defender and who is not.”
According to the new military service model, the Bundeswehr or the German military now targets up to 260,000 active soldiers, up from 183,000 currently and at least 200,000 reservists by 2035. The defence ministry will report recruitment figures to Parliament every sixth month.
The move follows French President Emmanuel Macron’s similar move last month, where he reintroduced 10 months of military service, although on a voluntary basis. Italy and Belgium, too, have expanded their voluntary service.
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Germany’s defence capabilities
The Bundeswehr has about 182,000 personnel. Pistorius aims to boost that number by 20,000 over the next year.
The long-term goal is to increase troop levels to 260,000 by the early 2030s, supported by roughly 200,000 reservists, in order to meet new NATO force requirements and strengthen Germany’s defence capabilities, according to reports.
Now, amid perceived threats from Russia and strong pressure from Germany’s traditional ally the US, Chancellor Merz has vowed to rebuild the Bundeswehr into Europe’s “strongest conventional force”.
NATO members have faced increasing demands from the Trump’s administration to boost defence spending.
In a June interview with the BBC, Chief of Defence, General Carsten Breuer, warned that NATO must be ready for a potential Russian attack within the next four years—possibly as soon as 2029—and urged member nations to ensure they are prepared.
At the 2025 Hague Summit, NATO members agreed to an upgrade in spending commitments: by 2035, each country is to allocate 5 percent of its GDP to defence and security. Of that total, at least 3.5 percent must go toward core military capabilities such as personnel and weaponry while up to 1.5 percent can be directed to related security areas like infrastructure.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine saw European leaders focus on becoming “ready for war,” Then-German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a ‘Zeitenwende’ (a turning point) and introduced a special $116 billion fund to modernise the Bundeswehr.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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