BERLIN, December 25. /TASS/. Germany will have to return to compulsory conscription, head of the Bundestag defense committee Thomas Rowekamp (CDU) told Die Welt newspaper.

"With the help of the law on the modernization of military service, we have created a tool to increase troops numbers. However, I still doubt that simply increasing the attractiveness of voluntary service will be enough. In 2027, we will check whether the agreed targets are achievable. Personally, I expect that during this legislative period we will have to return to compulsory military service," Rowekamp said.

He said that 20,000-30,000 servicemen leave the active army every year. The continuation of their service, according to the head of the Bundestag committee, is the only realistic way to increase the number of military personnel. "This is why it is extremely important to see what the situation in 2027 will be," said Rowekamp.

On December 19, the Bundesrat (Chamber of Federal States) approved a bill on a new model of military service after the Bundestag. The law will enter into force on January 1. The bill, put forward by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, obliges young people to undergo a medical examination and restores military registration. Potential recruits will receive mandatory questionnaires, in which they will have to answer questions about physical fitness and readiness to join the German army. Men are required to answer questions, while for women participation is voluntary, since the German constitution does not provide for compulsory military service for women.

Recruitment to the Bundeswehr will remain on a voluntary basis for now. All men born on or after January 1, 2008, will be required to undergo a medical checkup starting July 1, 2027. If there are not enough recruits for the planned increase in the number of armed forces, conscription may be reintroduced. In this case, young people can be selected by lot or using another mechanism. This will require a separate decision by the Bundestag.

The German Defense Ministry aims to increase the Bundeswehr numbers from about 184,000 currently to 260,000 by 2035. Compulsory military conscription was abolished in 2011, after which the transition to a professional army started.