Germany has set in motion plans to strengthen its military to counter Russia's threat and shifts in U.S. foreign policy. Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared this year that he would build "the most powerful conventional army in Europe," and the coalition recently agreed on a new conscription bill. The Bundeswehr has long suffered from budget shortfalls and manpower shortages, but the government set a goal of expanding active-duty personnel to 260,000 and adding 200,000 reservists by 2035.
According to CNN on the 23rd local time, the new plan first focuses on increasing voluntary enlistment. Monthly pay for service members was raised by 450 euros to 2,600 euros (about 3 million won), and additional allowances and education benefits are provided to those in service. However, if applicants are insufficient, the government gained the authority to resume compulsory conscription. Starting next year, all 18-year-old men must submit a mandatory "willingness to serve" survey, and health screenings will also be mandatory from 2027.
German politics is debating what form of conscription is appropriate. A "lottery conscription" that selects young men by drawing lots was discussed in some quarters, but Defense Minister Boris Pistorius withdrew the plan. He said it is more important to increase the appeal of enlistment than to draft, choosing an incentives-centered model. The new bill is expected to take effect on Jan. 1 next year after a vote in the Bundestag.
Behind the policy shift is heightened security anxiety after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Ministry of National Defense warned that "the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) must be prepared for a direct attack by Russia by 2029." Experts also agreed that, given Germany's geographic position at the center of Europe, it should serve as a key country in conventional defense. Mina Alander, a researcher at the international affairs think tank Chatham House, said the plan, if realized, would bring a major change to European security.
But social controversy is significant. Germany's left-wing parties and younger generations strongly oppose the return of conscription. In a recent poll, 80% of supporters of the left-wing party Die Linke said they oppose mandatory conscription. Many people in their teens and 20s said in interviews with CNN, "We understand that national defense is important, but we do not want to participate in war." This year, Germany recorded the highest number of applications for conscientious objection since 2011.
The chronic weakening of the Bundeswehr stems from long history. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, military spending stayed below 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), and, due to trauma from the Nazi era, strengthening the military itself was a social taboo. But after the 2022 war in Ukraine, Germany changed its stance. At the time, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a "turning point in history" and created a 100 billion-euro (about 1,700 trillion won) defense fund. Chancellor Merz accelerated this further, promising a "strong military that meets NATO goals."
There is an opinion that Germany has entered a phase in which it will be tested on whether this reform will expand its role in Europe's security architecture or whether backlash among the young will shake the system again. Minister Pistorius stressed, "The stronger the military, the lower the likelihood of war."