Overview

• Meeting in the Defense Ministry’s Bendlerblock, the cabinet advanced the Wehrdienstgesetz into the legislative process with a model that prioritizes voluntary service and new incentives.
• From next year, the Bundeswehr will send questionnaires to young adults to gauge interest and suitability; completion is mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
• A compulsory fitness screening for 18-year-old men is planned to follow, with reports differing on when the muster begins.
• The draft keeps a legal path to reinstate compulsory call-ups if volunteer targets are missed, as the SPD resists the CDU/CSU demand for an automatic trigger that the opposition plans to press in the Bundestag after a short-lived veto was withdrawn.
• Germany is working toward about 260,000 active troops and a sizable reserve from roughly 180,000 today, offering higher pay, bonuses and benefits to attract volunteers, while BSW leaders and the Bundeswehrverband question whether voluntariness will deliver.