Overview
- Negotiators signal a compromise this week, with faction leaders meeting midweek and a Bundestag vote penciled in for 5 December.
- The package retains a mandatory questionnaire for all 18-year-old men starting next year, with women able to respond voluntarily.
- Medical screenings would expand in stages to assess roughly 200,000 of about 300,000 men per year, with full cohort capacity targeted from mid-2027.
- The lottery proposal to select men for screening has been set aside in favor of broader screenings, though a draw could still determine compulsory service if voluntary intake falls short.
- The plan seeks to grow active forces toward about 260,000 plus a substantial reserve, as experts urge a statutory switch mechanism and youth groups criticize poor communication and lack of involvement.