Thomas Rovekamp, chairman of the Bundestag’s defense committee, said Germany may need to return to registration before the end of the government’s current term.
Rovekamp, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told World The newspaper doubts that the voluntary model of government will be enough to expand the Bundeswehr.
“I personally hope we have a return to membership before the end of this legislative period,” he said.
Merz’s government introduced a revised voluntary service earlier this year to make short-term conscription more attractive to young recruits.
However, Rovekamp warned that the Military Service Modernization Act, which was intended to promote voluntary enlistment, “will not be enough.”
According to NATO planning rules, Germany will have to be able to deploy about 460,000 troops by 2035 in the event of a crisis or war.
The country’s army, the Bundeswehr, also needs to replace the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers who leave active duty each year.
A new recruitment framework, recently approved by lawmakers, will take effect in the new year. This is designed to identify who may be drafted when membership is reactivated.
All 18-year-old Germans will receive a questionnaire on their motivation and suitability for service.
Completing the questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
Men must also undergo medical examination; For women, it remains optional.