Overview
- The coalition presented the compromise on Monday that lengthens basic service to nine months by pairing six months of core training with three months of mandatory Miliz (reserve) exercises starting 1 January 2027.
- Conscript pay will rise from about €600 to €1,000 per month and new leave days will be introduced to make service more attractive and to deter transfer to civilian service.
- The civilian alternative (Zivildienst) may be extended voluntarily by two months in 2027 and becomes automatically mandatory from 2028 if annual recruit numbers fall more than 7.5% below the 15,000 target.
- Any permanent change to Zivildienst requires a constitutional two‑thirds majority in parliament, so the coalition must win at least one opposition party’s support to finalise the guarantee mechanism.
- Military officer groups and regional associations have sharply criticised the deal as politically compromised and insufficient for readiness while analysts warn higher costs and longer employer absences could strain the labour market.