The German centre-right/centre-left coalition government on Thursday announced an agreed path to boosting its military forces, including the option of imposing partial mandatory military service.
Discussion on how to increase the number of active and reserve troops in the German army, the Bundeswehr, has increased significantly since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Fears of further military threats from Russia, along with what is seen as weak support from the US, have prompted European countries to make more preparations against a possible Russian attack against NATO.
What did the coalition government announce?
The CDU/CSU and SPD government said in a statement that it had set a “development path” to reach around 260,000 troops and some 200,000 reserves, up from the current level of 180,000.
The plan aims to send questionnaires to all 18-year-old youth over the next year, asking them about their motivation and suitability for the army, and informing them about voluntary participation. It will be mandatory for men to answer.
Those who sign up voluntarily will also be offered a monthly salary of €2,600 ($3,000).
However, the target should not be met by voluntary recruitment, with the government aiming to introduce compulsory recruitment to fill any gaps left. The previous target of 203,000 soldiers was not met through voluntary recruitment.
The announcement said conscripts would be selected at random “as a last resort.”
What do Germans think about bringing back membership?
There was significant disagreement within the coalition government over how to increase troop numbers. One point of friction was over an automatic mechanism that would be triggered when the number fell.
Thursday’s announcement said there will be no such automatic system.
Compulsory military service for men existed in Germany until 2011. Its suspension could be reversed by a simple parliamentary majority. The German Constitution will have to be changed to include women.
There is some support for such a move among German voters – 54% are in favor of it, according to a YouGov survey released in June 2025. However, it is mostly among older voters (66% support) who will be exempted from the service. There is considerable hesitation among young people (35% support among 18-29 year olds).
The CDU/CSU and SPD had agreed to an increase in troop numbers in their coalition agreement, however, both blocs struggled to find an agreement on implementing any form of membership.
Edited by: Kieran Burke