Norbert Röttgen, a deputy parliamentary group leader for the CDU/CSU, has voiced serious concerns regarding the draft of the new military service law proposed by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. Röttgen argues the draft contains significant deficiencies and requires substantial revisions to effectively strengthen Germany’s defence capabilities.
He emphasized the importance of the legislation, stating it is crucial for fulfilling coalition commitments and bolstering national security. Röttgen criticized the draft for failing to adequately address key security policy requirements, particularly regarding NATO objectives. He highlighted the absence of concrete timelines and targets for Germany to meet its commitments for increasing military personnel, leaving no benchmark to assess progress.
According to NATO planning, Germany needs approximately 90,000 additional professional and temporary soldiers by 2035, beyond regular replacements. Röttgen insists the draft lacks a clear plan for achieving this goal, failing to outline milestones or a phased approach. He proposed a yearly increase of 10,000 soldiers starting in 2026, with mechanisms for addressing potential shortfalls.
Regarding conscription, Röttgen stated the draft falls short of implementing the coalition agreement, which referenced the Swedish model. He explained the Swedish system includes automatic conscription if voluntary recruitment targets are not met – a feature absent in Pistorius’ proposal. The current draft, he argues, focuses solely on voluntary service without establishing clear conditions for transitioning to conscription.
Röttgen cautioned against prioritizing SPD preferences and emphasized the urgency, given assessments suggesting Russia could pose a military threat to NATO by 2029. He stressed that national security and allied commitments should not be compromised by partisan politics. He views mandatory service as a deterrent and a demonstration of societal resilience.
He also criticized the provision allowing for activation of conscription only through executive order in times of heightened crisis, arguing it undermines its potential as a deterrent and diminishes public acceptance. He further questioned the delay in implementing mandatory aptitude testing – originally planned for 2028 but now tentatively scheduled for July 2027, despite ongoing discussions about personnel growth for two years.
Röttgen indicated the Union will not support the draft in its current form. He stated the need for a functional law, delivered by 2029. The country must meet a historical obligation, he added.
The Defence Ministry anticipates a need for around 460,000 military personnel to meet NATO commitments, including 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists. Currently, the Bundeswehr has approximately 170,000 professional and temporary soldiers, leaving a shortfall of around 90,000 active personnel.