Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce a new voluntary military service scheme aimed at strengthening national defence capabilities in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The vote marks a major shift in Germany’s defence policy and aligns with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ambition to build Europe’s strongest conventional army.
Under the new system, beginning January 2026, all 18-year-olds in Germany will receive a questionnaire asking whether they are willing to serve in the armed forces. The questionnaire will be mandatory for men and voluntary for women. Although the government emphasises that service will remain voluntary for now, the framework will allow for compulsory enlistment in the future if national security deteriorates or volunteer numbers fall short.
The reform has been met with widespread pushback from young Germans. Students in up to 90 cities have announced plans to strike on Friday in protest.
“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 said in a statement shared on social media, warning that “war offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods.”
In Hamburg alone, approximately 1,500 students are expected to join the demonstrations, prompting school heads to caution parents against pulling students out of class for the protests.
The reform was approved by 323 votes to 272, making Germany the latest in Europe to reintroduce or expand forms of national service. Just last month, France introduced a 10-month voluntary military programme for young people aged 18 and 19.
From July 2027, Germany will begin conducting universal medical examinations for all 18-year-old men to determine their fitness for potential service. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the exams were necessary to ensure Germany could quickly identify those capable of “homeland protection” in the event of an attack.
Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, currently has around 182,000 troops. Pistorius aims to increase this by 20,000 within a year, with a long-term goal of raising numbers to 260,000 soldiers by the early 2030s—supported by about 200,000 reservists to meet new NATO requirements.
The Bundeswehr was significantly downsized after the Cold War; during the 1990s its force strength fell dramatically, and compulsory military service was officially abolished in 2011 under Angela Merkel. However, growing security concerns—particularly Russian aggression and pressure from the United States—have prompted a rethink.
Voluntary recruits will receive a monthly salary of €2,600, one of the highest incentives in Europe. In comparison, France pays volunteers at least €800 per month.
Alongside the military service reform, the Bundestag was also expected to vote on a controversial pensions reform bill that would keep state pension levels stable until 2031. The measure is central to the coalition agreement between Merz’s conservatives and their partners, the Social Democrats, who control the Bundestag with a fragile 12-seat majority.
Younger conservative MPs had threatened to oppose the bill, calling it financially unsustainable and unfair to future generations. However, the opposition Left Party has indicated it will abstain, reducing the number of votes needed for passage and easing concerns of a government collapse.
With the Left Party’s move, a major political crisis appears to have been narrowly avoided, giving the government breathing room as it pushes ahead with its most significant defence reforms in over a decade.
Melissa Enoch
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