The stalemate within Germany’s governing coalition deepened this week as Thomas Röwekamp, Chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, escalated calls for a definitive decision on reinstating compulsory military service, potentially as early as mid-2027. Röwekamp’s push, voiced in an interview with the Funke-Mediengruppe, directly challenges the staunch opposition from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), a key coalition partner.
Röwekamp argues that the evolving security landscape necessitates a swift and decisive response. Recent airspace violations by unidentified aerial phenomena and drone incursions over critical infrastructure, he asserted, underscore the urgency of bolstering Germany’s defense capabilities. He emphasized that the compromise forged within the coalition agreement, which initially envisioned a voluntary military service, is no longer sufficient given the current geopolitical realities.
To address personnel shortages within the Bundeswehr, Röwekamp is demanding that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) establish concrete, year-on-year targets for active troop numbers. Critically, he insists the SPD must embrace these targets and be prepared to activate compulsory military service if recruitment goals are consistently unmet by the established deadline. This ultimatum highlights a growing rift regarding the fundamental approach to strengthening German military readiness.
The coalition agreement initially prioritized a renewed, attractive voluntary service model, a position the SPD has rigidly defended, resisting any discussion of conscription during the current legislative period. Röwekamp’s call for a decision by mid-2027 is a clear signal that this position is increasingly untenable in the eyes of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and potentially other factions within the Bundestag.
He proposes a framework where preemptive, shared criteria for personnel levels are established, allowing for an objective assessment of the necessity for compulsory service based on numbers of active soldiers. This move attempts to depoliticize the decision and ground it in quantifiable metrics.
Röwekamp reminded that Germany committed to ambitious military capabilities at the NATO summit in The Hague following the defense service compromise within the coalition agreement. These commitments require not only a 300% increase in reservists but also a 50% surge in active Bundeswehr personnel, a goal currently far from reach.
The first reading of the draft legislation for the new voluntary military service, originally slated for Thursday, has been postponed by a week to allow for review of CDU-led amendments. This delay underscores the ongoing debate surrounding the future of German military service and the delicate balance within the governing coalition. The escalating calls for compulsory service represent a deepening political struggle over Germany’s defense posture and its commitment to NATO obligations.