Overview

• Union negotiators pressed to add a lottery to compel service if volunteers fall short, drawing pushback from Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and SPD lawmakers and prompting a planned joint press conference to be canceled.
• The draft envisions an online questionnaire for 18‑year‑old men starting in January and mandatory medical examinations from July 2027, with service remaining voluntary unless numbers prove insufficient; young women can opt in to the questionnaire.
• The Bundeswehr cites a shortfall of about 80,000 soldiers, as reports say NATO wants Germany to field seven new brigades by 2030 and media have reported plans to procure up to 1,000 Leopard 2 tanks and 2,500 Boxer vehicles.
• Constitutional experts are divided on a lottery’s compatibility with the principle of fairness, with Udo di Fabio calling it equal in effect and others warning that random selection lacks a sufficient legal justification.
• Polling shows overall support for reinstating conscription but opposition among most 18‑ to 29‑year‑olds, while Denmark is cited as a reference where a lottery would apply only if volunteer targets are not met.