April 26, 2026
Bavaria’s conservative State Premier Markus Söder has criticised the government’s plan to boost the number of people enlisting in the armed forces, saying the only thing that will work is compulsory military service.
“For us it’s very clear: If the Bundeswehr is to become the biggest army in Europe, then there’s no way around military service,” Söder told Bild newspaper.
“With volunteers alone we won’t achieve the necessary security our country needs. And security is the prerequisite for freedom,” he said, adding: “That’s why military service needs to come as soon as possible.”
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is seeking to increase the number of active soldiers from 70,000 to 200,000.
The coalition government was unable to agree on a return to military service, which was ended in 2011 under Chancellor Angela Merkel. The measures make it possible to do a voluntary military service, but the government also agreed to send out questionnaires to all 18-year-olds, which men are obliged to fill out and return.
However, the government has said that if numbers don’t reach the desired level, then a compulsory military service may still be introduced.