Overview
- All 18-year-old men would undergo a medical exam and complete a questionnaire on availability and willingness to serve under the proposed framework.
- The draft excludes a lottery-based call-up, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius describing compulsory service as a last resort and CDU/CSU figure Jens Spahn warning it could be revisited if volunteers fall short.
- Incentives reported by Der Spiegel include pay of more than €2,600 gross per month, free healthcare, a driving licence opportunity, and other benefits, though compensation details have not been officially confirmed.
- NATO’s target calls for 460,000 German troops versus roughly 182,000 active and 49,000 reservists today, and Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the coalition’s agreement during a visit to Geilenkirchen.
- The plan is framed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s push to build Europe’s most capable conventional force and by German intelligence warnings of a possible Russia–NATO conflict before 2029.