Overview

• An ARD-Deutschlandtrend survey shows 75 percent of Germans back reinstating conscription in some form.
• Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is pushing a draft Wehrdienstgesetz to establish a six-month volunteer service beginning May 2026.
• The proposed law includes a conscription fallback that can only be triggered after separate cabinet, parliamentary approval if volunteer targets are unmet.
• The Union demands clearer automatic triggers for conscription, while SPD leaders insist on prioritising voluntary enlistment measures.
• Pistorius aims to recruit about 15,000 volunteers in the first year and scale to 114,000 by 2029, contributing to a goal of 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists by 2035.