The German government coalition partners have reached an agreement for reintroducing the mandatory military draft. Starting next year, all citizens born after January 1, 2008, shall undergo a medical examination. On that basis, if there are not enough voluntary recruits, a “casualty” system will be adopted to fill the gap. The coalition did not disclose what kind of method will be used. For the moment, the lottery system has been put aside, but not completely excluded. The target is to build a 250,000-270,000 army, with 200,000 reservists.
Those who voluntarily join the Bundeswehr for six months will get a gross monthly check of €2,600, plus a subsidy for a driving license (in Germany the driving license is given after an expensive “Fahrschule” driving school course and examination), if they commit for one year.
