Overview

• Lawmakers postponed the first reading of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s Wehrdienstgesetz by about one week from October 9.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz said voluntary recruitment likely will not suffice and reiterated support for a general compulsory societal year, which would require a Basic Law change.
• CDU/CSU leaders demand clearer automatic thresholds for a shift to compulsory service, while SPD officials insist the agreed model remains voluntary.
• Pistorius reported rising interest, citing roughly 30% more military hires this year and a goal of training 100,000 additional reservists by 2029/2030.
• The Bundeswehr is short by roughly 80,000 active troops toward NATO’s ~260,000 benchmark, as the military’s top officer urges swift action and a trial of the voluntary approach.