Overview

• The approved framework reintroduces nationwide registration in 2026 and makes mustering compulsory from mid-2027, with women able to submit information voluntarily.
• An initial intake of about 15,000 is planned for 18- to 25-year-olds, with pay set at more than €2,000 net by classifying recruits as temporary soldiers.
• Any move to compulsory service would require a Bundestag decision based on the security situation or a shortage of volunteers, which the CDU/CSU seeks to harden with automatic triggers.
• Defense Minister Boris Pistorius hailed the bill as a major step, while Bundeswehrverband chief André Wüstner and Green leaders warned voluntariness alone may miss personnel goals.
• Meeting in the Bendlerblock with NATO’s SACEUR attending, the cabinet also advanced broader security measures including a planned National Security Council and stronger powers for the military counterintelligence service.