The proposed legislation for a revamped German military conscription system, presented by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, has drawn criticism from within the conservative Union faction. Norbert Röttgen, the CDU’s spokesperson for foreign and security policy, voiced concerns that the proposals do not adequately address the evolving security landscape.
Röttgen highlighted Minister Pistorius’s own assessment that Russia could be capable of launching a large-scale conflict in Europe within four to five years. He emphasized Germany’s commitment to increasing its active military personnel to 260,000 and its reserve forces to 200,000 by 2035, a significant shortfall given the current standing army of 170,000 active soldiers.
Röttgen stressed the urgency of establishing clear, measurable targets within the legislation, along with timelines for achieving them. He also advocated for defining a point at which a transition from voluntary service to mandatory conscription, as previously stipulated in the coalition agreement, would be triggered if targets are not met. This transition, he argued, should be regulated within the legislation itself. “Germany can no longer afford to waste time” Röttgen stated, adding that verifiable and concrete steps are needed to enhance the nation’s defence capabilities.
Minister Pistorius’s model initially emphasizes voluntary participation. All individuals born after December 1998 will be contacted by the military, with both men and women invited to complete a physical fitness questionnaire. A phased rollout involving a gradual assessment of young men is planned and the voluntary service period is projected to last six months. While the government anticipates the voluntary scheme will be sufficiently attractive to obviate the need for compulsory service, the legislation includes provisions allowing the government and parliament to authorize the compulsory recruitment of conscripts should a prolonged shortfall in volunteers or a significant deterioration of the security situation arise. However, the current proposal lacks specific guidelines for an automatic transition to mandatory service.
Resistance to mandatory elements had previously been observed within the SPD party. The new military service model is expected to be approved by the cabinet after the summer recess and subsequently debated by the Bundestag, with a planned start date of January 2026.