Germany's coalition government has agreed a new military service plan to boost troop numbers following months of wrangling between political forces.
The new military service plan will mandate all 18-year-old men to fill out a questionnaire on their suitability to serve and, from 2027, to undergo medical screening.
The Bundeswehr currently has around 182,000 troops. The new military service model aims to increase that number by 20,000 over the next year, rising to between 255,000 and 260,000 over the next 10 years, supplemented by approximately 200,000 reservists.
From next year, all 18-year-old men and women will be sent a questionnaire to assess their interest and willingness to join the armed forces. It will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
From July 2027 all men aged 18 will also have to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for duty.
If the government's targets are not met, a form of compulsory enlistment could be considered by parliament. If war were to break out, the military would be able to draw on the questionnaires and medical exams for potential recruits.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said despite the new military service plan there was "no cause for concern... no reason for fear".
"The more capable of deterrence and defence our armed forces are, through armament through training and through personnel, the less likely it is that we will become a party to a conflict at all," Pistorius said.
Defence spending in Germany tumbled after the end of the Cold War, while conscription was suspended in 2011.
Given its past, Germany has long been shy of showing military might, but earlier this year Friedrich Merz announced that the rule for German defence "now has to be whatever it takes", following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Around 300,000 young men per year will be affected. The defense minister argues that this is the only way for the Bundeswehr to get an idea of who could be called up in the event of a conflict.
District conscription offices, dotted across the country, used to be responsible for these inspections. With the end of compulsory military service in 2011, these offices were abolished. The Defense Ministry is now rushing to create a new infrastructure and is already inspecting properties for this purpose. Pistorius emphasized that the Bundeswehr's new "career centers" should not be anything like the dusty offices of bygone years. They should be modern, bright and airy, just like in Sweden.
source: commonspace.eu with BBC (London) and Deutche Welle (Cologne)
