Overview
- Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and CDU defence chair Thomas Röwekamp signaled a political agreement is likely this week after expert hearings and protests in Berlin.
- The compromise keeps a mandatory questionnaire for 18‑year‑old men and moves toward broad, mandatory Musterung of male cohorts, with capacity to screen entire year groups targeted by mid‑2027.
- A lottery-based selection would activate only if volunteer intake falls short, as negotiators hash out measurable growth targets and a legal switch mechanism for compulsory service.
- Parliamentary leaders aim for committee consideration on December 3 and a final Bundestag vote on December 5, with the law slated to take effect on January 1, 2026.
- Experts warned voluntarism alone is unlikely to meet personnel goals of roughly 260,000 active troops plus about 200,000 reservists, while youth organizations criticized limited involvement and rising uncertainty.