Overview
- Thomas Röwekamp, president of the Bundestag defence commission, said on Saturday June 27 the government must decide by July 31, 2027 whether to reinstate mandatory service if volunteer recruitment does not meet targets.
- The Bundeswehr reported just 530 new volunteers from January to May 2026 after contacting roughly 300,000 young people, a shortfall that has alarmed policymakers.
- If reintroduced, conscription would not call up an entire age cohort but would each year draft only the number of young people needed to reach the army’s recruiting goals.
- Officials point to a perceived rising Russian threat and concerns about future U.S. commitments as drivers for faster European rearmament and the possible return of mandatory service.
- Berlin plans intensified outreach to young people, will raise industrial and capacity issues at the NATO meeting in Ankara, and is pursuing Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s aim of at least 260,000 career soldiers by 2035.