August M
Germany has approved a plan to introduce voluntary military service from 2026, sending questionnaires to all 18-year-olds to identify potential recruits
Germany has taken a major step toward reshaping its defence posture, backing a new system of voluntary military service that marks a significant departure from its post-Cold War approach.
The measure comes as Berlin faces mounting pressure to respond to Russia’s war in Ukraine and rebuild the Bundeswehr into a credible European force, according to the BBC.
Youth backlash
As the BBC reports, beginning in January 2026 all 18-year-olds will receive a military questionnaire — mandatory for men, optional for women — to gauge interest in joining the armed forces.
The move has sparked widespread student anger, with organisers planning strikes in up to 90 cities.
Protesters argued in a statement that they refuse to “spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks… learning to kill”, warning that war “destroys our livelihoods”.
Schools in Hamburg expected around 1,500 pupils to join demonstrations, prompting head teachers to caution parents against removing children from classes.
The Bundestag approved the measure by a vote of 323 to 272, the BBC said, making Germany the latest European country to revive some form of structured military preparation.
Europe recalibrates
France recently announced a 10-month voluntary service scheme for teenagers, with compulsory medical assessments for men from 2027.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius told the BBC that similar medical checks will be needed to determine “who is operationally capable as a homeland protector and who is not”.
Germany’s army currently numbers about 182,000 troops.
The government aims to increase that figure by 20,000 next year and reach 260,000 by the early 2030s, supported by roughly 200,000 reservists, to meet NATO force goals.
Conscription still on the table
Although framed as voluntary, MPs acknowledged that compulsory service could be revived if security conditions deteriorate or volunteer numbers fall short, the BBC noted.
In a crisis, recruitment would rely on the questionnaires and medical data collected from each cohort.
Germany abolished conscription in 2011 after decades of downsizing.
Sources:BBC
