Overview
- Lawmakers held a first reading of the Defense Service Modernization bill that starts with voluntary enlistment and leaves any compulsory step for a future vote.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected a lottery-based fallback as a "lazy compromise" that would take too long to implement, prompting a canceled rollout earlier in the week.
- The current draft foresees a mandatory questionnaire for all 18-year-old men from 2026, with young women receiving the same survey without an obligation to respond.
- CDU/CSU leaders continue to back a lottery as a contingency if volunteer targets fall short, while the SPD and Pistorius resist that mechanism but signal openness to further talks.
- Germany aims to expand to roughly 260,000 active soldiers and about 200,000 reservists from around 182,000 active and 49,000 reservists today, citing NATO duties and the threat from Russia.