Germany to Bring Back Compulsory Military Service? President Steinmeier Calls for National Debate
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for a national debate on reintroducing compulsory military service, stressing that Berlin needs to strengthen its armed forces amid what he described as escalating security threats in Europe.
Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011. Although inactive, the legal framework for conscription remains intact and could be reactivated with a simple majority in parliament. However, a full-scale return, including for women, would require constitutional change.
Speaking on ZDF television on July 13 (local time), Mr. Steinmeier said that Germany must prepare for the possibility that volunteer recruitment will not meet the military's personnel requirements.
"I am in favor of compulsory military service because I believe that, given the changing security situation in Europe, given the fact that a war is underway, and given the conclusions we have drawn from it to better protect ourselves, the personnel equipment of the Bundeswehr (German army) also needs to be adjusted," he said.
He expressed support for Defence Minister Boris Pistorius' proposal to expand the size of the army and create a contingency system for conscription, which aims to recruit around 5,000 volunteers a year, rising to 30,000 by 2029.
A bill being prepared for cabinet consideration in August, with the possibility of enactment as early as 2026, includes provisions to automatically re-impose conscription if volunteer numbers fall short of targets.
"We need this debate now, preferably with a positive outcome, so that if there are not enough volunteers we can return to a different form of conscription than the one abolished," Steinmeier said.
Since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, Germany has been working to boost its military, citing what it sees as a security threat from Russia.
For its part, Moscow has dismissed claims that it plans to attack NATO countries, saying it is "nonsense" and accusing Western leaders of deliberately sowing alarm among their citizens to justify increased defense budgets.
