Overview
- Defence Committee chair Thomas Röwekamp flagged three unresolved issues: how to select if volunteers fall short, the legal status of service entrants, and a binding growth path for the active force.
- Röwekamp said the Union no longer insists on a lottery, expects only part of each cohort would be needed, and wants the voluntarist approach formally reviewed by 2027.
- Parliamentary armed forces commissioner Henning Otte urged a Bedarfswehrpflicht tied to clear milestones and said a lottery may be unnecessary once nationwide medical screenings are in place by mid‑2027.
- Experts at a public hearing criticized the draft as too vague and operationally thin, warning a six‑month basic service would not staff combat units and calling for an automatic switch mechanism.
- Coalition figures expect an agreement this week, with the Defence Committee set to finalize recommendations on December 3 and a possible Bundestag vote around December 5 for a law planned to take effect next year if passed.