Overview
- Senior negotiators including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Jens Spahn and Matthias Miersch reached a late-night agreement after weeks of coalition dispute.
- Voluntary service remains the primary path; all 18-year-olds will receive a Bundeswehr questionnaire beginning with the 2008 cohort.
- Entire male year groups are to be mustered from mid‑2027, with a lottery to compel service only if not enough fit volunteers come forward.
- Coalition groups plan special briefings this morning followed by a public statement; a Bundestag vote is targeted for December 5 with the law slated to take effect January 1, 2026.
- The reform is driven by NATO requirements to grow to about 260,000 active troops plus roughly 200,000 reservists, while CSU leader Markus Söder still urges a full return to conscription.