Frank-Walter Steinmeier has suggested that voluntary recruitment might not be enough to satisfy the nation’s military needs.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for a nationwide discussion on reinstating military conscription, underlining the need for Berlin to bolster its armed forces in light of what he characterized as escalating security challenges in Europe.
Compulsory military service in Germany was suspended in 2011. Despite being inactive, the legal basis for a draft is still in place and could be reactivated with a simple parliamentary majority. A comprehensive return, including women, would, however, require constitutional changes.
Speaking to ZDF on Sunday, Steinmeier indicated that Germany must prepare for the potential scenario where voluntary enlistment proves insufficient for the army’s staffing needs.
“I am a proponent of conscription because I believe that with the shifting security environment in Europe, the presence of an ongoing conflict, and the conclusions drawn from it to better safeguard ourselves, the personnel readiness of the Bundeswehr must also be adjusted,” he stated.
He voiced support for Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s proposal to increase troop numbers and establish a contingency draft system. The plan seeks to enlist around 5,000 volunteer recruits annually, escalating to 30,000 by 2029.
Legislation currently being prepared for cabinet review in August, with potential enactment by early 2026, includes stipulations to automatically reintroduce conscription if volunteer recruitment numbers are insufficient.
“We require this discussion now, ideally with a constructive outcome, so that if volunteer numbers are not met, we will likely revert to a different form of conscription than the one we previously abolished,” Steinmeier noted.
Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Germany has been endeavoring to strengthen its military, citing what it views as a security threat from Russia.
Moscow has refuted claims that it intends to attack NATO nations, dismissing them as “nonsense” and accusing Western leaders of deliberately alarming their citizens to validate increased defense expenditures.