Overview
- CDU/CSU and SPD agreed on a compromise package expected to clear parliament by year‑end and take effect at the start of next year.
- From January, all 18‑year‑old men will be registered and must complete a questionnaire on fitness and willingness to serve, with participation voluntary for women under current constitutional rules.
- Mandatory medical screening for the cohort born in 2008 is planned to begin on July 1, 2027 to establish who is fit for service.
- The Defence Ministry must deliver recruitment progress reports every six months, and shortfalls could prompt a lottery-based call-up or a separate law to reinstate conscription as a last resort.
- Incentives include voluntary service of 6 to 23 months with pay of about €2,600 gross per month, with roughly 20,000 volunteers targeted in 2026.