Germany Approves Mandatory Reservist Training to Boost Military Readiness

The German cabinet approved a draft law that will allow the mandatory call‑up of military reservists for training. The measure abolishes the previous requirement that reservists and their employers agree to each call‑up and introduces a longer notice period for employers. It is part of Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’s plan to expand the Bundeswehr to at least 260,000 active‑duty soldiers and double the reserve pool to 200,000 by the mid‑2030s. Under the proposal, men and women who have served for less than a year and are up to 45 years old could be required to attend two‑week exercises every year or every two years, while those with longer service could be called up until age 65. The law aims to ensure rapid mobilisation for NATO commitments amid heightened security concerns following Russia’s war in Ukraine. Business groups, such as the DIHK, have called for a three‑month notice period instead of the eight weeks proposed.