Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, in a move aimed at boosting national defences after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This marks a significant shift in Germany's approach to its military and follows Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to create Europe's strongest conventional army.
The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
Students at schools across Germany have stated they will join strikes in as many as 90 cities on Friday to protest against the move. Many young Germans either oppose the new law or are sceptical.
We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill, the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media.
German MPs voted by 323 votes to 272 to back the change, making their country the latest European country to launch some form of revised military service. The government emphasizes that military service will be voluntary for as long as possible, but from July 2027, all 18-year-old men will need to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for possible military service.
Germany's army, currently comprising around 182,000 troops, aims to augment its numbers to meet NATO targets and ensure readiness for potential security threats.}
The change means that all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a questionnaire from January 2026 asking if they are interested and willing to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women.
Students at schools across Germany have stated they will join strikes in as many as 90 cities on Friday to protest against the move. Many young Germans either oppose the new law or are sceptical.
We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill, the organisers of the protests wrote in a statement posted on social media.
German MPs voted by 323 votes to 272 to back the change, making their country the latest European country to launch some form of revised military service. The government emphasizes that military service will be voluntary for as long as possible, but from July 2027, all 18-year-old men will need to take a medical exam to assess their fitness for possible military service.
Germany's army, currently comprising around 182,000 troops, aims to augment its numbers to meet NATO targets and ensure readiness for potential security threats.}
