Germany may reinstate the conscription rule if not enough people join the Army ranks voluntarily, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.
The rule was abolished in 2011 following prevailing peace in the country and in the continent; however, Berlin seeks to revive the necessary conscription services for able-bodied adult men and women, citing the rising “threats” in the region, especially after the Russia-Ukraine War.
"We have agreed that we will initially rely on voluntarism—a service that is initially voluntary and intended to encourage young people to serve their country," Pistorius said in an address to the Bundestag on Wednesday.
"And I say this quite deliberately and honestly: the emphasis is also on ‘initially,’ in case we cannot recruit enough volunteers,” he added.
“In the medium and long term, we will strengthen personnel levels to ensure that the Bundeswehr is sustainably positioned for both homeland security and alliance defence,” the minister said.
As per the defence minister, Applications for military service increased by more than 20 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Germany aims to raise the number of active-duty soldiers from 180,000 to over 200,000 by 2031.
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Enlistment had dropped by 7 per cent in 2023 as the Bundeswehr struggled to attract younger recruits, prompting some politicians to describe the recruitment goals as unrealistic.
Although Germany has supplied Ukraine with heavy weapons, including Leopard 2 tanks, Berlin denies that the country is directly involved in the conflict with Russia.
In March, Carsten Breuer, Germany’s top general, told reporters that the country was living in a “grey zone” between full-scale war and complete peace.
During a visit to Lithuania in January, Pistorius claimed that Russia could prepare its army for a “theoretical attack” on NATO in 2029 or 2030.
Moscow has denied any plans to attack NATO member states and accused Berlin of dangerous escalation after Merz voiced support for supplying Kiev with Taurus long-range cruise missiles.
Russia argued that the shipment of such sophisticated weapons would make Germany a de facto direct participant in the conflict.
"This is appropriate for Europe's most populous and economically powerful country," German Chancellor Fredric Merz told parliament. "Our friends and partners also expect this from us. Indeed, they practically demand it."
US President Donald Trump has demanded that NATO allies spend more on defence, suggesting that Washington could abandon members of the military alliance do not share the financial burden.
Merz, while addressing Donald Trump’s demands, said, "The German government will provide all the financial resources the Bundeswehr needs to become Europe's strongest conventional Army."
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