Germany could revive conscription by mid-2027: senior MP to AFP

Germany is struggling to recruit enough soldiers to meet its targets and will have to decide by July 2027 at the latest whether or not to reinstate compulsory military service, a senior lawmaker has told AFP.

“If we do not manage to reach these targets through voluntary enlistment, we will have to return to compulsory conscription. The decision must be taken by July 31 next year,” Thomas Roewekamp, the chairman of the German parliament’s defence committee, said in an interview.