Germany is considering raising the age limit for reservists from 65 to 70 to improve national defense, according to Der Spiegel.
Bastian Ernst, the new head of the German Reservists’ Association, put forward the proposal.
The initiative is driven by current demographic trends and the need to strengthen Germany’s defense capabilities.
Ernst emphasizes that, amid a shortage of young people, it is unwise to overlook those who remain physically fit longer and possess valuable life and professional experience. As an additional argument in favor of the changes, he points to the overall increase in the retirement age.
In addition to raising the age limit, there is a proposal to change how reservists participate in military training. Under current law, reservists can only participate if both they and their employer agree.
Bastian Ernst argues that employers should not be allowed to block a reservist from attending training if the individual wants to go. However, participation in training should still remain voluntary for reservists.
These proposals come amid Germany’s plans to expand its armed forces by 2035, aiming to reach 260,000 active personnel and 200,000 reservists in the Bundeswehr.
The current number of German reservists is unknown, but Bastian Ernst estimates it at around 60,000 people.
In the first two months of 2026, nearly 2,000 people in Germany applied for conscientious objection to military service – more than half of the total for all of 2025, when 3,879 such applications were filed.
Meanwhile, interest in joining the Bundeswehr is also growing. Since the start of the year, the number of applicants has increased by about 20% compared to the same period last year.
