The long talked about move comes as Berlin aims to create Europe’s strongest conventional army while Russia’s aggression in the east continues to cast a shadow of worry across the rest of the continent.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, ““Other European countries, especially in the north, show that the principle of voluntary participation combined with attractiveness works – and I expect exactly the same in our country.”
Die Welt reports Pistorius emphasized the importance of the agreed-upon, nationwide conscription process that begins with an initial registration callout.
That requires all 18-year-old males to fill in a questionnaire called a “declaration of willingness” from 2026 and young men will soon have to undergo mandatory physical exams:
Concrete plans exist for this, he [Pistorius] said, with the aim of presenting initial findings and recommendations, ideally on the day of the examination. However, the questionnaire to be sent to young people is also crucial for the military registration process.
“There is no cause for concern, no cause for fear […] Because the lesson is quite clear: the more capable our armed forces are of deterrence and defense, through weaponry, training, and personnel, the lower the probability that we will even become a party to a conflict – and that benefits everyone, that is the experience of the Cold War. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to worry.”
Women can choose to fill it in and express their willingness to serve in the Bundeswehr. But this will not be mandatory because Germany’s Basic Law stipulates only men can be conscripted.
The agreement includes provisions for comprehensive conscription and set targets for troop growth.
If volunteer numbers fail to reach the target set, the Bundestag will be able to decide on a so-called “needs-based” conscription system, which could also use a random selection process, to fulfill goals.
Pistorius noted the number of applicants is increasing and the recruitment figures are rising. The government’s aim is to recruit 20,000 new volunteers by 2026. They will receive 2,600 euro ($3,025) per month before tax.
Earlier this year German defence chief Gen Carsten Breuer warned that the Western Nato alliance had to prepare for a possible Russian attack within four years, the BBC reports.
Germany, a leading NATO and European Union member, has moved to modernize its long-neglected military since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
To that end it set up a 100 billion euro ($117 billion) special fund to modernize the Bundeswehr three years ago, much of which has been committed to procuring new equipment.
Now the drive has come to add the human element to the boost in military hardware.
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