Senior lawmaker Thomas Rowekamp warned that Germany could reinstate compulsory military service as early as July 2027 due to insufficient voluntary recruitment for its ambitious military buildup goals.
The country has been pursuing a major expansion of its armed forces since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, aiming to increase active soldiers from 186,000 to 260,000 and add another 200,000 reservists by the mid-2030s.
Under the Military Service Modernization Act passed by Germany’s Parliament last year, all 18-year-old males must register for potential service through a medical checkup, though they can declare an interest in military service. The law allows for conscription via lottery if manpower shortages arise.
However, recruitment efforts have been far below expectations: only 530 individuals volunteered for military service from January to May among approximately 300,000 Germans who completed the registration process.
Rowekamp, head of parliament’s defense committee and a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, stated that Germany faces “serious doubts” it can achieve its target on a voluntary basis. He emphasized that a decision to reintroduce conscription must be made by July 31 next year.
The government’s push for military expansion has sparked widespread youth protests across Germany, including a thousands-strong school strike against the draft in Berlin earlier this month.
Germany abolished its draft system in 2011, and officials including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius have recently advocated for reinstatement citing perceived Russian threats. Pistorius previously warned that Russia could launch an attack on a NATO member as early as 2028.
Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin criticized Western nations for preparing for conflict with Russia while using claims of the “Russian threat” to justify military buildup. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov similarly accused Germany and the European Union of sliding toward a “Fourth Reich” through their aggressive militarization efforts.
