Overview
- The cabinet backed a Defense Ministry draft that creates a paid, short-term voluntary service and preserves a parliamentary route to reinstate conscription if recruitment or security needs require it.
- Berlin sets a long‑term goal of about 260,000 active troops and roughly 200,000 reservists, with annual volunteer intakes targeted from around 20,000 in 2026 to about 38,000 by 2030.
- Implementation includes questionnaires to all 18‑year‑olds on willingness and suitability starting next year, plus mandatory medical exams for young men beginning in mid‑2027.
- Short‑term recruits would earn roughly €2,000 net per month with full medical insurance and access to training offers, and the package also strengthens military counterintelligence and establishes a National Security Council for crises.
- Coalition disagreements persist over automatic triggers for conscription if targets are missed, while the Bundeswehr reports a 28% year‑over‑year rise in new recruits to more than 13,700 from January through July.