Germany’s Cabinet approved legislation introducing a new form of military service on Wednesday, according to government sources.
The legislation, presented by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, reinstates a military register that young men must join when they turn 18, stating whether they are willing and able to do military service.
“The law on the new military service enables us to reinstall the military registration that no longer exists since compulsory basic military service was abolished in 2011. If a state of defence were to arise tomorrow, we would not know who we could conscript because there is no complete database,” Pistorius told dpa ahead of the decision.
Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted Germany to revisit its defence posture, which increasingly suffered from a lack of investment since the end of the Cold War as imminent threats appeared to diminish.
Compulsory military service was abolished in Germany in 2011 after 55 years, leading to the dismantling of all related processes, including a register.
However, the law continued to allow for compulsory military service to be reinstated if the parliament declared a state of defence.
The German military, or Bundeswehr, has been dogged by personnel problems. As of June, it had less than 180,000 troops on its records, as well as an additional 60,000 permanently integrated reservists.
Pistorius said that Germany needs around 460,000 solders to meet NATO targets and that “a large proportion of these, around 260,000 must be able to be drawn from the reserves.”
According to the Bundeswehr, there are currently about 15,000 training places for voluntary military service providers, of which 5,000 are regularly vacant.
The Bundeswehr also plans to create an additional 3,000 training spots per year.
Military planners believe the mandatory register and voluntary service places will be sufficient to secure enough applicants.
The German Constitution only provides for compulsory military service for men, which is why the register is optional for women.
The basic training for the new military service is to last six months, with the option of extending it to up to 23 months if people choose to specialize in a specific area.
Pistorius said a salary of at least €1,800 ($1,900) is being considered for recruits, and possibly up to €200 more depending on the circumstances.
The legislation must now pass through Germany’s two houses of parliament. It could come into force in May of next year.
