German government split over compulsory military service – DW – 08/17/2025
Chancellor Friedrich Merz wants to make the Bundeswehr the strongest army in Europe, which will require better equipment and more personnel than the current 183,000 soldiers. To comply with NATO guidelines, the Bundeswehr needs to add another 60,000.
The coalition government of Merz's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) agree that the Bundeswehr must expand. But they have different opinions on how to achieve this.
The SPD has proposed voluntary military service. However, the draft bill put forward by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) set to be approved by the cabinet at the end of August, is already meeting with resistance from within the CDU/CSU.
Now one of the most important security policy issues facing Germany, namely its defense capabilities, is causing discord within the governing coalition.
The draft law put forward aims to make voluntary military service more attractive by 2026 without the reintroduction of compulsory military service, which was suspended in Germany in 2011 under then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU). Today, Chancellor Friedrich Merz believes that this was a mistake.
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The coalition agreement between the SPD, CDU, and CSU, states: "We will create a new, attractive military service, which will initially be based on voluntary participation."
The term "voluntary" is immensely important to the Social Democrats. They reject compulsory military service, arguing that it encroaches too much on the lives of young people.
Defense Minister Pistorius is convinced that an attractive model for voluntary military service will draw enough young people. He recently predicted that this could easily bring in "an average of 25,000 to 30,000 every year."
A significant increase in salaries, as well as modernized and expanded training courses that include topics such as drone operation, language courses and the opportunity to obtain a driver's license, are to attract new soldiers. The minimum length of service would be only six months.
However, not everyone in the CDU and CSU shares the defense minister's optimism. They argue that in the current tense security situation, it is not enough to rely on attracting volunteers.
In an interview with German daily newspaper , Norbert Röttgen, deputy leader of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, criticized the draft law, saying that it contained no specific figures or deadlines for when Germany must achieve its goals of increasing the size of its armed forces.
"The NATO goals to which we have committed ourselves are missing entirely," Röttgen deplored. "This means there is no yardstick for determining whether we are on track or need to make adjustments."
He concluded: "We cannot afford to make mistakes that we clearly see coming."
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Although the draft law would keep military service voluntary, it also includes some mandatory aspects. According to the defense minister's plans, all 18-year-old men and women would get a letter from the Bundeswehr starting next year. A QR code on the letter would link to an online questionnaire asking about their willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr. Men would be required to fill it out, while women would be encouraged to do so voluntarily.
The questionnaire aims to encourage young people to actively consider whether they could see themselves serving in the armed forces.
The number of young people voluntarily enlisting in the armed forces has already risen. At the end of July, the total number stood at just over 11,000, which represents an increase of around 15% compared to the year before.
The new law would also require all young men to undergo a medical examination, even if they have not expressed an interest in military service. The defense minister initially proposed, the medical check-up to become mandatory for all 18-year-old men starting in 2028, which was then brought forward to by one year due to pressure from center-right lawmakers.
CDU lawmaker Norbert Röttgen thinks this would still be too late, calling it irresponsible security policy.
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This proposal to introduce a questionnaire follows the example set by Sweden. However, in Sweden, young people are required to serve in the army if the army's needs exceed the number of voluntary applicants. This situation arises regularly, and the questionnaire serves as the basis for determining who is selected to serve. In Germany, there are no plans to use the questionnaire in this way.
But what if the reforms to voluntary military service are not as successful as the defense minister envisions? Or if the security situation deteriorates dramatically?
The new law provides that in this case the government would be able to reinstate compulsory military service with the approval of the Bundestag.
SPD parliamentary group leader Matthias Miersch has stressed that there will be no negotiations on a return to compulsory military service before fresh elections in 2029.
The CDU and CSU parties, on the other hand, urge faster action, as they have doubts about the success of the new voluntary military service and point to the growing threat from Russia.
"We don't have time to wait until the cows come home; we need a clear agreed deadline as to when we must change our strategy," said Thorsten Frei (CDU), head of the Chancellery, to the German Press Agency .
Since compulsory military service was only repealed by law but remains stated in the constitution, it could be reactivated by a simple parliamentary majority. In the event of a crisis, Defense Minister Pistorius has pointed out, it would therefore be possible to quickly return to compulsory military service.While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
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