Germany to Introduce Mandatory Reservist Training and Accelerate Military Construction

The German government has approved two draft bills aimed at strengthening the Bundeswehr’s reserve forces and speeding up the construction of military infrastructure.

According to DW, the new legislation would make military training mandatory for reservists once again, requiring them to take part in regular training exercises.

Currently, this issue is governed by the principle of dual voluntary consent: reservists may be called up only with both their own consent and their employers’ consent.

Once the new law is adopted, reservists and their employers will only be able to submit requests to defer training or military service. In addition, the law provides exemptions from the obligation to serve in cases involving severe personal hardship or other exceptional circumstances.

Reserve training will become mandatory for everyone who has completed at least 6 months of voluntary military service until age 45. For those who have served for at least 1 year as career military personnel or under a military contract, this obligation will remain in effect until age 65.

Through this reform, Germany aims to meet NATO’s requirement that by 2035, in the event of a crisis or war, the Bundeswehr should have 460,000 military personnel available.

The second bill aims to significantly accelerate the Bundeswehr’s construction projects. In the future, military projects will be classified as being of “overriding public interest.” This status will give them priority over environmental protection concerns and other potential objections during the approval process.

In addition, legal disputes concerning such projects will be heard directly by the Federal Administrative Court to avoid lengthy proceedings. At the same time, the Bundeswehr may be required to pay compensation for nature conservation. Both bills will now be submitted to the Bundestag for consideration.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius previously stated that if it proves impossible to increase the size of the armed forces solely on a voluntary basis, the country will have to return to partial conscription. He emphasized that if the security situation deteriorates, mandatory military service will become the only way to protect Germany.