On 5 December 2025 the Bundestag passed a new military service law. 323 members voted for it and 272 against. Young men must fill out a questionnaire, and medical screening at 18 becomes compulsory again. The service itself remains voluntary.
Compulsory service would need a separate law. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that if too few volunteers came forward or the situation stayed the same or became worse, partial compulsory service could not be avoided.
Parliament decided the first step and left the second step to a later decision.