Bavarian PM: Time to reinstate mandatory military service in Germany

Prime Minister of Bavaria and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) Markus Söder has publicly urged Germany to reinstate compulsory military service.

In a recent post on the social media platform X, Söder emphasised that the German armed forces require both modernised equipment and an increase in personnel to meet current security challenges, Caliber.Az reports. 

Der Bundesverteidigungsminister rechnet damit, dass Deutschland bis zu 60.000 Soldaten zusätzlich braucht. Für uns ist klar: Dafür brauchen wir wieder eine Wehrpflicht in Deutschland. Die Planungen dafür müssen jetzt rasch beginnen. Die Bundeswehr muss massiv gestärkt werden.… pic.twitter.com/GFKeOXr8X0

— Markus Söder (@Markus_Soeder) June 5, 2025

“Planning for this must begin as soon as possible,” Söder wrote, stressing the critical need to strengthen the Bundeswehr to ensure the country’s defence capabilities. 

Mandatory military service in the German army was suspended in 2011, but only for peacetime. Due to a personnel shortage estimated at 100,000 soldiers, Germany is reconsidering the issue of reinstating conscription. Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius stated in May that the country could return to this practice as early as next year. He said that the relevant bill could come into effect on January 1, 2026.

By Naila Huseynova