In the first four weeks of the year, the Bundeswehr sent out over 40,000 questionnaires to potential servicemen. Many completed questionnaires have already been received, and although it is too early to draw representative conclusions, "the process is moving forward." This was stated by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, as reported by DW, writes UNN.
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The head of the defense department is confident that 20,000 volunteers will be recruited by the end of the year.
I am convinced that we will succeed. The latest figures are encouraging. In 2025, we recruited over 25,000 new soldiers. This is 23% more than in the previous year, and it is the best recruitment result in the last twelve years - a real trend reversal.
In Germany, a reform came into force on January 1, which provides for sending questionnaires to young German citizens asking about their desire to serve in the Bundeswehr. Filling out the questionnaires is mandatory for men and voluntary for women. Suitable candidates are invited to the selection procedure. From July 1, 2027, all 18-year-old men will be required to undergo a medical examination to determine their fitness for military service, even if they do not choose to serve in the army voluntarily.
At the same time, compulsory service, which was suspended in 2011, may be partially reinstated by a decision of the German parliament. The so-called "military duty by necessity" is planned to be applied if the required number of volunteers cannot be achieved. Candidates for service will be selected by lot.
The reform was carried out against the backdrop of new NATO requirements for personnel numbers, according to which Germany must be able to deploy about 460,000 servicemen in the event of a crisis or war by 2035. Pistorius plans to increase the Bundeswehr's personnel from 183,000 to 260,000 and expand the reserve to 200,000 people.