Overview
- The Defence Ministry published a draft Reservestärkungsgesetz on Thursday that would allow compulsory peacetime service for reservists and set out detailed rules for who can be called up.
- The draft ties liability to prior service by setting age and service bands, for example making people with at least six months voluntary service liable until age 45 and those with at least one year of professional service liable until age 65.
- The law would cap compulsory time by prior service levels, limit annual and total days for most reservists, allow deferments for hardship, and generally keep mandatory foreign deployments off the table.
- Employers would lose a full veto but would be formally heard and could request postponements while the government offers financial support to businesses and higher pay or allowances for reservists.
- The plan also foresees issuing some uniforms for home storage and retaining the G36 rifle so reservists can be armed, aims to expand the Bundeswehr to about 260–265,000 active troops and a 200,000-strong reserve, and now moves to cabinet and parliamentary approval with the Reservistenverband asking for deeper involvement in implementation.