Germany Backs Voluntary Military Service Bill 

In an effort to boost its defense forces, the German government this week passed a draft bill that introduces voluntary military service and opens the door to conscription if more troops are needed, the BBC reported. 

Conscription in Germany ended in 2011 under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Friedrich Merz made strengthening Germany’s military a priority. 

The proposed law also aligns with US President Donald Trump’s calls for Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own defense.  

It now requires approval from a parliamentary majority to be enacted. 

Before the draft bill was passed, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reiterated that the new military service would initially be on a voluntary basis, according to Euronews.  

Starting in 2026, the military will send all young men and women a questionnaire covering their health, education, and interest in military service. Filling it out will be mandatory for men and optional for women, in line with the German constitution. 

The goal is to increase the number of soldiers in service from 182,000 to 260,000 by the early 2030s to meet new NATO defense targets. The defense ministry also wants the number of reservists to reach 200,000. 

However, if not enough recruits enlist voluntarily or if the security situation worsens, the bill allows the parliament to reintroduce conscription with an amendment. 

Some members of Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party opposed the voluntary model, saying the draft bill lacks the basis to be effective. They call for an automatic trigger under which, if recruitment targets are missed, conscription would be enacted without requiring parliamentary approval, wrote Politico.  

Germany’s military remains severely understaffed, and the country faces additional hurdles to rearmament after largely leaning towards pacifism since World War II, according to the Washington Post. 

Despite the military efforts to make enlisting look appealing – for example, by advertising high salaries and free medical care – a recent survey showed that a majority of young people are not interested in enlisting or taking part in any other form of compulsory service, Deutsche Welle noted. 

Meanwhile, anti-war group Rheinmetal Entwaffnen criticized the bill, writing on social media that they reject participation in “the wars of the ruling classes,” and refuse to fight for a state that cuts back on social infrastructure. 

A group of about 70 anti-war activists protested against the military service proposal outside a Bundeswehr career center in Cologne, according to police.