Overview

• The cabinet on August 27 approved a draft law to reintroduce a regulated Wehrdienst that starts with voluntary enlistment and enables compulsory call-ups if needed.
• Service pay would rise to the level of time soldiers, with Bundeswehr examples showing an 18-year-old private at €2,706.99 gross and about €2,320.86 net per month.
• From 2026 all 18-year-olds will be contacted, with men required to respond, and mandatory medical examinations for men born after 2008 are planned from July 2027 if the mechanism is activated.
• CDU leaders demand a defined ‘automatism’ to trigger conscription when volunteer targets are missed, while SPD figures say they are ready to discuss changes in September expert talks before an October first reading.
• The plan is tied to NATO personnel goals of at least 260,000 active troops and 200,000 reservists, with current strength around 182,000, and Chancellor Merz said a future draft for women would require constitutional changes.