Germany nears lottery-based conscription under new service model

Germany's CDU/CSU bloc and Social Democratic Party have reached a compromise on a draft law introducing a new model of military service that would include conscription by lottery.

The plan for developing military service was drawn up on the basis of military recommendations and commitments made to NATO, Bild reports.

Speaking at a parliamentary press conference, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius highlighted the success of similar mixed systems in northern European nations and expressed confidence that this model would help Germany overcome its long-standing manpower shortages while avoiding a return to full conscription.

"We will focus on making military service as attractive as possible for young men and women on a voluntary basis. The second important point is the mandatory medical examination for young men, which we will gradually implement once the law takes effect and is in full effect by summer 2027," he said.

The core principle of the new model is voluntariness. All men from the age of 18 will be required to undergo a medical examination. If the number of volunteers is insufficient, mandatory conscription will follow.

In that case, men who have completed the medical check will be drafted into the army through a lottery system. The service term will be six months, including three months of basic training.

The parliamentary factions will discuss all details on November 13 at extraordinary meetings.

The initiative seeks to expand the Bundeswehr to 260,000 active troops by 2035 in line with NATO commitments, requiring around 20,000 new recruits annually.

Germany scrapped compulsory military service in 2011, transitioning to a fully volunteer professional force, and the armed forces currently number 183,000 personnel.

By Jeyhun Aghazada