Overview

• Germany’s defense minister reaffirmed plans to assess all men in each cohort, arguing the visibility of a comprehensive muster would serve as a deterrent to Moscow.
• He noted that conscription suspended since 2011 would automatically apply in a defense case under the Basic Law, so authorities must know who is deployable.
• The government aims to pass the Wehrdienst reform by year’s end so it can take effect on January 1, 2026, with digital questionnaires for the 2008 birth cohort in 2026 and compulsory mustering from July 2027.
• Pistorius prioritizes voluntary service and says Parliament must decide any fallback, including a possible lottery, after a compromise floated by CDU/CSU and SPD lawmakers fell through last week.
• He called the post‑2011 shutdown of local recruitment offices a serious mistake and said new structures are being built to enable nationwide mustering from mid‑2027, with legal hearings to test selection and equality rules.