Overview
- Union and SPD reached the compromise late Wednesday after talks with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, CDU leader in Parliament Jens Spahn, SPD parliamentary leader Matthias Miersch, and defense experts.
- The model keeps service voluntary at first, foresees musterings of entire year-groups, and leaves a Bundestag-triggered option to reinstate suspended conscription if personnel targets are missed.
- Coalition leaders said details will be presented Thursday morning to their parliamentary groups before a public briefing.
- Implementation steps include sending a Bundeswehr questionnaire to all 18-year-olds beginning with the 2008 birth cohort.
- The deal follows weeks of dispute over selection rules, with Pistorius rejecting a lottery in favor of comprehensive assessment, while outside voices such as President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and CSU leader Markus Söder pressed for stronger obligations.