Revolution in military service: Federal President calls for social service for everyone!

Revolution in military service: Federal President calls for social service for everyone!

Yesterday the 70th anniversary of the Bundeswehr was celebrated in Berlin with a solemn vow. 280 soldiers celebrated this special occasion on the square between the Chancellery and the Bundestag. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also took part in the celebrations and made it clear that support for Ukraine has led to declining Bundeswehr stocks. At the same time, he was able to present positive results from the special fund for the Bundeswehr, which helps to accelerate processes and modernize the procurement office. This was also confirmed by [Deutschlandfunk](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/pistorius-in-deutschland- Werden-streitkraefte-besser-geredet-steinmeier-ford-gesellschaftsdiens-100.html).

In the midst of these celebrations, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called for a general service for society, which he felt was fair for all birthday guests. He expressed his confidence in the new military service law and spoke out in favor of a fair procedure for achieving the target strength of the Bundeswehr. These proposals come at a time when the Bundeswehr is facing challenges in adapting its troop strength to current security policy circumstances.

Military service reforms in focus

Defense Minister Pistorius is currently pushing forward the reform of the military service. The plan is to present a new model that goes beyond the previous voluntary regulations. Politicians from the SPD and the Union are divided on this, which leads to intense debates. While Thomas Röwekamp, ​​chairman of the CDU's defense committee, only sees detailed questions as obstacles to the final model, it remains unclear whether the presentation will take place on the anniversary or before the coalition committee. The draft law on the “New Military Service” is intended to increase the number of defense forces to around 460,000 soldiers in the long term, with at least 260,000 active soldiers in service. These plans are aimed at the 2035 target and include around 200,000 reservists, as Euronews reports.

Pistorius himself emphasizes that the Bundeswehr must be strengthened through voluntary service. The planned nationwide sampling of young men is intended to be an important step towards this reform. A compulsory call should only take place if the voluntary nature of the meeting is not sufficient. However, this is met with resistance from the Union, which prefers a lottery system for recruitment. Meanwhile, the SPD is planning a comprehensive package to increase the attractiveness of the Bundeswehr.

Comments on staffing levels

Military historian Sönke Neitzel also points out the challenges that the reform brings with it. He criticizes that a purely voluntary approach will not be enough to secure the necessary staffing levels and describes the draft law as “half-hearted”. Neitzel is calling for compulsory military service in order to quickly increase personnel. All of this is happening against the background of possible Russian aggression against NATO in the coming years, as the Federal Government has pointed out. Pistorius estimates that between 60,000 and 100,000 additional soldiers will be needed to meet NATO targets.

The new law is scheduled to come into force on January 1, 2026, and mandatory mustering of all young men could begin in July 2027 or 2028. With these reforms, the federal government is trying to meet the challenges of the security situation at home and abroad and at the same time increase the attractiveness of the Bundeswehr.