Overview

• CDU leaders including Jens Spahn and Wehrbeauftragter Henning Otte are pushing to build the structures that could enable a quick return to conscription if volunteer numbers prove insufficient.
• SPD defense spokesman Falko Droßmann calls instead for urgent investment in Bundeswehr infrastructure and more attractive career paths to boost voluntary recruitment.
• Defense Minister Boris Pistorius plans a two-stage model that begins with a voluntary enlistment phase next January and reserves mandatory service as a contingency.
• NATO’s force requirements and current shortfalls leave the Bundeswehr 50,000 to 60,000 troops below its readiness targets.
• Public opinion is split: an INSA survey shows only 36 percent would choose military service while 51 percent prefer civilian alternatives, with the youngest adults most reluctant.