Germany's cabinet has passed a draft bill which will introduce voluntary military service. The bill could also lead to conscription if more troops are needed.
It’s part of a move to boost German national defences, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Compulsory military service in Germany was ended in 2011 under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made boosting Germany's military a priority given the threat from Russia and said we are now back on the path to a military service army.
He summed up his thinking earlier this year saying: We want to be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves. Germany's plans also follow calls by US President Donald Trump for Europe to take more responsibility for its own defence.
When his coalition government came to office earlier this year, it loosened borrowing restrictions to enable a surge in defence spending and then announced plans for 3.5% of economic output to go on defence over the next four years.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants to increase the number of soldiers in service from 182,000 to 260,000 by the early 2030s to meet new Nato force targets and strengthen Germany's defences. The defence ministry also wants to increase the number of reservists to 200,000.
In the future, all 18-year-old Germans, both men and women, will be sent an online questionnaire asking if they are willing to volunteer for military service. It will include questions about their physical fitness. Men will be required to complete the form, but it will be voluntary for women.
However, if the security situation worsens or if there are too few volunteers, the government could decide to use compulsion with the approval of the German parliament, the Bundestag.
Some members of Pistorius's Social Democrat party have criticized the plans, suggesting that the Bundeswehr should be made a more attractive employer rather than reintroducing compulsory military service. Critics question whether this direction is the right step for Germany, advocating instead for an improved professional army.
Meanwhile, anti-war group Rheinmetal Entwaffnen expressed opposition to this shift, emphasizing their unwillingness to partake in conflicts that compromise social infrastructure.
