Overview

• Ministers approved a draft that introduces nationwide wehrerfassung in 2026, requiring men to complete a questionnaire and mandating muster for 18-year-old men from 2027.
• The plan starts with about 15,000 recruits and upgrades pay by treating them as temporary soldiers, offering more than €2,000 net per month to attract applicants.
• Conscription remains suspended, but a return could be activated by government regulation if volunteers fall short or the security situation requires it, subject to Bundestag approval.
• The Union bloc argues the bill lacks firm annual targets and will push for automatic triggers in parliament, while Defense Minister Boris Pistorius signals openness to revisions.
• Leaders of the Bundeswehr association and reservists say the measures still fall short of what is needed to reach NATO force goals, warning a questionnaire alone will not lift troop numbers.