Bavaria's Premier Söder Calls for Restoring Universal Military Conscription in Germany

Söder's statement

Bavaria's Minister-President and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Söder, has spoken out in favor of reinstating compulsory military conscription in Germany. On the social network X, he wrote that the Federal Republic is facing an unprecedentedly high level of threats, which is why the country needs large-scale investment in armaments and military infrastructure, as well as faster procurement for the armed forces. In his view, financial and organizational measures alone are not enough. “We once again need genuine universal military service,” — his words are cited by Gazeta.Ru. In the Life.ru publication the quote reads “we once again need genuine military service,” and Söder additionally stated the need to increase the size of the Bundeswehr.

Context: refusals of service and the chancellor's position

The Bavarian premier's statement came against the backdrop of a growing number of refusals of military service: according to Berliner Morgenpost, cited by Gazeta.Ru, 12,102 young people sent official letters refusing service — three times more than in the whole of 2025, when there were 3,879 such requests. The idea of possibly introducing compulsory military service had previously been voiced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz as well: he noted that although a voluntary recruitment system is currently in place, compulsory conscription may become necessary in the future; an assessment of the new system's effectiveness is scheduled for next year. Söder's position aligns with the course of the CDU/CSU bloc, which includes reinstating compulsory conscription in its program, based on the claim that most young Germans, regardless of gender, are ready to serve society.