Does the new military service bring security and equality?

Due to the Russian aggression in Europe, national and alliance defence has become the focus of NATO partners' considerations. In order to be able to live up to its responsibility, the German government plans to reach around 260,000 men and women in the active troops and 200,000 reservists for the Bundeswehr by 2035. This can be considered rather ambitious due to a current troop strength of 184,000. However, a reactivation of classic conscription is not an option – on the one hand due to a lack of majorities in the German Bundestag and on the other hand because there is a lack of barracks, district recruitment offices, equipment and training personnel for several tens of thousands of conscripts per year.

The new military service model therefore relies on voluntariness, higher pay and numerous other incentives. From 1st January 2026, information and access data for a questionnaire will be sent to 18-year-olds. Completing the online questionnaires is mandatory for men and voluntary for women. The willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr is queried as well as height, weight, educational degrees and qualifications as well as a self-assessment of physical aptitude. From July 2027, all men of a year (about 300,000) are to be compulsorily mustered. This is independent of any prior expression of interest in the service in the questionnaire. In the medical examination, the mental, physical and character suitability is to be tested.

From a mathematical point of view, these measures can achieve the goals for the Bundeswehr reserve. This is because 20,000, later 40,000 volunteers are to be recruited annually, who will automatically switch to the assigned reserve after service. Even with a total of 40,000 volunteers a year – and thus 210,000 people in the active force – there would still be a large gap of about 50,000 men and women to the target of 260,000.

Various experts have expressed doubts as to whether enough volunteers can be found at all. They consider stronger compulsory elements to be just as necessary as an obligation for women and a legally secure answer to the question of military equality, which would then undoubtedly arise again. However, those willing to reform are confronted with a Bundestag that is not prepared to support an amendment to the Basic Law that would allow women to be engaged, for example.

Read the entire monitor: „Bringt der neue Wehrdienst Sicherheit und Gerechtigkeit?“ here as a PDF. Please note, to date this publication is only available in German.