Future of military service: Union calls for clear regulations and more soldiers!

Future of military service: Union calls for clear regulations and more soldiers!

In the last few days, the topic of military service has been a topic of discussion in Germany. Thomas Röwekamp, ​​the chairman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, once again spoke to the coalition committee about the open questions surrounding the new military service model. Loud sueddeutsche.de The Union expects to wait for the Ministry of Defense's presentation on the selection of recruits. Until recently, the Union stuck to a lottery system, but has since dropped this plan.

The coalition has agreed that of the 240,000 to 260,000 young men drafted, around 30,000 to 40,000 should actually take up their service. However, if it turns out that there are not enough volunteers available, a selection process is unavoidable. The proposal for this procedure could be based on either fitness or lottery. The agreement between the coalition partners remains exciting because the structures are complex.

Political controversial issues

A central concern of the Union is a legal growth path that provides for an additional troop strength of 10,000 soldiers annually. It is assumed that a third of those doing military service are willing to continue their enlistment after their service. These considerations lead to a controversial question: Should the status of all conscripts be equal and should they automatically be considered temporary soldiers? Röwekamp emphasizes that higher pay and measures to make military service more attractive are absolutely necessary in order to attract enough young people. Tagesschau.de reports on the current situation and the exact concerns that were discussed by experts, including Inspector General Carsten Breuer and historian Sönke Neitzel, in an expert meeting.

An increased need for personnel is in sight, as the target troop strength is to increase from the current 182,000 active soldiers to 260,000. An additional 200,000 reservists are planned. But the SPD and especially Defense Minister Boris Pistorius are in conflict with the Union's demand for binding target numbers and are convinced of the attractiveness of voluntary military service. The coalition committee has scheduled a meeting next Thursday to discuss these issues further and perhaps reach a consensus.

Outlook on the military service law

The new military service law, which is due to come into force at the beginning of January 2026, has already been discussed in its first reading in the Bundestag. Röwekamp and Pistorius are optimistic about the progress in the negotiations. The debates and expert discussions are crucial to pave the way for the future constitution of the military service and to create an effective structure that meets the needs of the Bundeswehr.

So while it's about shaping the military service, we can be curious to see how the political camps will position themselves in advance of the difficult decisions. It is clear that the federal government is facing a major challenge: finding the balance between the demands placed on the troops and social expectations. We'll stay tuned and report back when there's news!