On Friday, the German Parliament voted 323–272 to approve a bill that would expand the Bundeswehr from its current force of 180,000 service members to 260,000 by 2035, supported by an additional 200,000 reservists. While the bill stops short of reintroducing mandatory conscription, it offers incentives to encourage voluntary enlistment, including raising the monthly starting salary to €2,600 — an increase of €450. However, the government would retain the authority to introduce needs-based conscription, known as Bedarfswehrpflicht, if recruitment targets are not met.
