After long negotiations, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU and coalition partner the SPD have agreed on the new military service in Germany. The coalition will continue to rely on the voluntary principle, but at the same time universal mandatory medical examinations will be introduced, the purpose of which is to determine fitness for military service - whether voluntary or compulsory.
And if there are not enough volunteers?
If the number of volunteers is too low, the Bundestag will be able to decide on so-called mandatory military service. At a joint press conference on Thursday, November 13, the CDU and SPD expressed satisfaction with the compromise reached. "Everyone will be examined (...) If voluntary registrations ultimately prove insufficient, compulsory military service will also have to be introduced", emphasized the leader of the CDU parliamentary group, Jens Spahn.
From next year, all 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire, the completion of which will be mandatory for men. "With the entry into force of the law, compulsory examinations of men born after January 1, 2008 will also begin, which will gradually cover the entire age group in accordance with the development of examination capacity," the coalition document states.
The agreement also provides for the possibility of so-called compulsory military service if necessary. "The Bundestag decides by law on the introduction of compulsory military service if necessary, in particular when this is required from the point of view of current defense policy or the state of the personnel of the armed forces." This measure will serve to fill any gaps, i.e. if the number of those who volunteer is lower than the current needs of the army.
"If the number of those subject to military service in a given age group exceeds the needs of the army, after taking into account exemptions from military service and all other measures, a random selection procedure may be applied", the agreement further states.
Incentives to attract more volunteers
The status of soldiers in the new military service is changing compared to previous plans. "The status of voluntary military service as a special civilian commitment is maintained. If the duration of the obligation exceeds twelve months, the status of a temporary soldier (SAZ 1) is introduced," the agreement states. Until now, all new recruits had been planned to become temporary soldiers immediately.
The authorities are also betting on incentives to attract more volunteers. Anyone who serves voluntarily will receive around 2,600 euros gross per month. With at least one year of service, a driver's license supplement for a car or truck will also be granted.
Due to the threat emanating from Russia and the related changes in NATO's plans, the number of soldiers in the German army must increase by around 80,000 people - to 260,000 men and women.