Overview

• The cabinet’s draft sets a voluntary-first service with nationwide registration starting in 2026 and mandatory medical screening for men from July 1, 2027, pending passage.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said a return to conscription could follow if volunteer targets are missed and did not rule out including women, noting current constitutional barriers.
• CDU figures press for an automatic trigger to reintroduce conscription if quotas fall short, while SPD defense voices signal openness to negotiate details during the legislative process.
• Pay for service members would rise to soldiers-on-contract levels, with an 18-year-old rifleman earning about €2,706.99 gross and roughly €2,320.86 net under the proposal.
• Navy inspector Jan Christian Kaack reported attempted espionage and sabotage against the Bundeswehr and endorsed the new service model as a recruitment boost, as regional data show about 31,000 men in Hesse’s 2008 cohort affected in 2026.