Germany votes to bring back voluntary military service programme for 18-year-olds

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service in a move aimed at strengthening national defense following 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 the strongest conventional army in Europe.

The change means that from January 2026, all 18-year-olds in Germany will be sent a survey asking whether they want to join the armed forces. The form will be mandatory for men and optional for women.

Students at schools across Germany said they would join strikes in up to 90 cities on Friday to protest the move.

Many young Germans either oppose the new law or are skeptical.

“We do not want to spend half a year of our lives locked in barracks, undergoing drill and obedience training, and learning to kill,” protest organizers wrote in a statement posted on social media.

“War offers no hope for the future and is destroying our livelihoods.”

In Hamburg alone, around 1,500 people were expected to attend the protests, and school principals warned parents not to pick up their children from school that day.

German lawmakers voted 323 to 272 to support the change, making their country the latest European country to introduce some form of revised military service.

Last month, France announced that it would start a 10-month voluntary military training for 18- and 19-year-olds.

The government says military service will be voluntary wherever possible, but from July 2027 all 18-year-old males will be required to undergo a medical examination to assess their suitability for possible military service.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said universal medical examinations were necessary so that Germany did not waste time determining “who is operationally capable as homeland protector and who is not” in the event of an attack.

Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr, currently has about 182,000 soldiers and Pistorius wants to increase the number of soldiers in service by 20,000 next year.

The long-term goal is to increase the number to 260,000 by the early 2030s, with around 200,000 reservists to meet new NATO force targets and strengthen Germany’s defences.

Although the plan is for voluntary service, some form of compulsory military service may be considered by the Bundestag if the security situation worsens or too few volunteers come forward.

If war were to break out, the army would be able to use surveys and medical examinations for potential recruits.

Like other European countries, Germany disbanded its armed forces during the peace years of the 1990s. During the Cold War, it had an army of almost half a million men.

Compulsory military service in Germany was ended in 2011 under former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

But now, in the face of perceived threats from Russia and heavy pressure from Germany’s traditional ally the United States, Friedrich Merz has vowed to rebuild the Bundeswehr as Europe’s most powerful conventional army.

NATO countries are under pressure from US President Donald Trump’s White House to increase defense spending.

Incentives for voluntary service are relatively high, with a salary of around 2,600 euros per month promised. In France, volunteers will be paid at least €800 (£700) a month.

The Bundestag will also vote on Friday on a controversial pension reform bill that would keep state pensions at current levels until 2031.

The bill is a key part of the coalition agreement between Merz’s conservatives and their centre-left partner, the Social Democrats, who have a slim majority of just 12 votes.

But there were doubts whether the law would pass a parliamentary vote, as younger members of the conservatives in Merz threatened to rebel. They say the plan is financially unsustainable and will leave the burden on younger generations.

But Germany’s opposition far-left party said it would abstain from the vote; This means the coalition needs fewer votes to pass legislation and therefore does not have to worry about potential rebels from its own ranks.

A government crisis may have been narrowly averted.