Overview
- The agreement was struck late Wednesday and will be outlined to coalition lawmakers in special caucus meetings Thursday before details are made public.
- According to coalition sources, the model keeps service voluntary for now, introduces screening for all 18-year-old men, offers new incentives for volunteers, and allows a Bundestag vote to reinstate conscription if recruitment goals are missed.
- Coalition sources said the government plans to pass the law on December 5 for it to take effect on January 1, 2026, with initial questionnaires sent to all 18-year-olds starting with the 2008 cohort.
- The deal follows an October draft that proposed lottery-based compulsory screening and service, a plan Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected, prompting renewed negotiations.
- The reform is tied to plans to expand the Bundeswehr from about 180,000 to roughly 260,000 active troops plus 200,000 reservists to meet NATO readiness expectations.