The German coalition has agreed a voluntary military service model with nationwide conscription rules and troop-expansion targets, dpa reports. If volunteer recruitment falls short, parliament could trigger a compulsory draft and use a lottery to fill ranks. The measure aims to strengthen the Bundeswehr and comes amid heightened European security concerns linked to the nearly four-year war in Ukraine. Further legislative steps are required to implement the plan.
Germany's Coalition Agrees Voluntary Military Service Plan with Contingency Draft
Coalition agrees nationwide voluntary service model with backup draft
dpa reports that Germany's governing coalition has reached an agreement on a new voluntary military service framework, including nationwide conscription rules and specific troop-expansion targets. The plan is designed to strengthen the Bundeswehr by increasing recruitment while keeping compulsory service as a last resort.
Under the proposal, voluntary enlistment would be reintroduced to boost personnel numbers. If voluntary recruitment proves insufficient to meet urgent needs, the plan would allow parliament to trigger compulsory service. In that case, candidates could be selected at random by lottery to fill positions quickly.
Negotiators from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative bloc and the centre-left Social Democrats struggled for weeks over key details — particularly the fallback mechanisms to be used if volunteer numbers fall short. The agreement sets out the conditions and thresholds under which the backup draft could be activated.
Officials say the move aims to ensure rapid scaling of forces in response to heightened security risks in Europe.
The debate comes amid growing security concerns across Europe driven by the nearly four-year Russian war in Ukraine, which has refocused attention on national defence and military readiness.
What happens next: The framework will now proceed through further political and parliamentary steps before implementation, with details expected to be finalized as lawmakers translate the coalition agreement into legislation.
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