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Germany may need to return to conscription before the end of the government’s current term, the chairman of the Bundestag’s Defense Committee, Thomas Röwekamp, said.

Röwekamp, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), told Die Welt newspaper he doubts the government’s voluntary model will be enough to expand the Bundeswehr.

“I personally expect that we will have to return to conscription before the end of this legislative period,” he said.

Merz’s government introduced a revamped voluntary service earlier this year to make short‑term enlistment more appealing to young recruits.

Röwekamp, however, warned that the Military Service Modernization Act, which was intended to boost recruitment voluntarily, “will not be sufficient.” 

NATO’s planning rules require Germany to be able to field around 460,000 soldiers by 2035 in the event of a crisis or war.

The country’s military, the Bundeswehr, must also replace the 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers who leave active duty each year.

A new conscription framework, recently approved by lawmakers, will take effect in the new year. It is designed to identify who could be drafted if conscription is reactivated.

All 18‑year‑old Germans will receive a questionnaire on their motivation and suitability for service.

Completing the questionnaire is mandatory for men and voluntary for women.

Men will also be required to undergo a medical examination; for women, this remains optional.