Overview
- Service remains voluntary at the outset, with the Bundestag empowered to trigger a demand-based conscription using a lottery if recruitment goals are missed.
- Starting in 2026, all 18-year-olds will receive Bundeswehr letters; men must complete a questionnaire and undergo medical screening, while women may opt in.
- The plan ties a personnel build-up to about 260,000 active troops and roughly 200,000 reservists to the new recruitment architecture.
- Volunteers are to receive about €2,600 per month, with pathways into fixed-term soldier roles and benefits such as driving license subsidies for longer commitments.
- The government will add 15,000 places to the federal volunteer service, which major aid organizations back while calling for solid funding and equal recognition.