Germany rolls out new military service plans to boost troops

With concern rising around the threat posed by an increasingly hostile Russia, Germany is rolling out incentives to lure new army recruits while stopping short of making military service mandatory.

If enlistment numbers aren’t high enough in coming years, however, parliament may introduce a lottery system or some other mechanism that would require men to serve.

The two-phase model was presented by senior members of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the co-governing Social Democrats on Thursday after weeks of negotiations. Prompted by Russia’s full-scale attack of Ukraine, Germany has massively ramped up defence spending to reverse years of neglect and Merz has pledged to transform Germany’s Bundeswehr into Europe’s strongest conventional army.

Speaking to reporters in parliament, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced that all 18-year-old men will have to answer a questionnaire and show up for a physical assessment in order to provide officials with an overview of the pool of potential soldiers.

To make military service more attractive, monthly pay will be increased to EUR2,600 ($3,020) from between EUR1,800 and EUR2,200. The new law will also introduce various perks, such as subsidising drivers licences, which can cost upwards of EUR1,000 in Germany. Once approved by lawmakers, the changes would go into effect in January.

While other European countries are also facing shortfalls in military recruitment, Germany’s challenge stands out. Under new NATO demands, Europe’s most populous country must boost its military personnel to up to 260,000 troops from about 180,000 now, and add hundreds of thousands more to a reserve force.

Germany suspended compulsory military service in 2011 under Merz’s conservative predecessor Angela Merkel. The former chancellor is now facing accusations of having underestimated the threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.