Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service For 18-Year-Olds

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has approved the return of voluntary military service in a move aimed at strengthening national defence following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The reform is part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s wider ambition to build Europe’s strongest conventional army.

From January 2026, all 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire asking if they are willing to serve in the military. Completing the form will be mandatory for men and optional for women. Although the programme is described as voluntary, the government has indicated that compulsory service could be introduced if security conditions worsen or recruitment levels fall short.

The decision has triggered backlash among many young Germans, leading to plans for coordinated student strikes in close to 90 cities. Organisers argue that young people should not be drawn into military structures or prepared for war. In a statement posted on social media, they wrote that they do not want to spend months “locked in barracks” or “learning to kill,” insisting that war cannot offer a sustainable future. In Hamburg alone, around 1,500 protesters are expected to take part, with school authorities warning parents against removing students from classes for the demonstrations.

The Bundestag backed the measure with 323 votes in favour and 272 against, making Germany the latest European country to adjust its military service model. Last month, France announced a 10-month voluntary service scheme for teenagers. Germany’s Defence Minister, Boris Pistorius, said that from July 2027 all 18-year-old men will also undergo a medical assessment to determine their suitability for potential service, stating that universal exams would ensure Germany can mobilise quickly in an emergency.

Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, currently have about 182,000 active personnel. The government aims to increase this number by 20,000 within a year and reach 260,000 by the early 2030s. The plan also involves building a reserve force of around 200,000 troops to meet NATO targets and reinforce national readiness. To encourage participation, volunteers are expected to receive a monthly salary of approximately €2,600.

The vote took place alongside a separate debate over a controversial pension reform bill, which aims to maintain state pension levels until 2031. The bill is a core part of the current coalition deal between Merz’s conservatives and the Social Democrats, who hold a narrow governing majority.

Younger conservatives had threatened to vote against the reform, warning that the policy is financially unsustainable and would shift the burden onto younger generations. However, the Left party said it would abstain, lowering the threshold needed for the bill to pass and easing pressure on the coalition. The move appears to have prevented a potential parliamentary setback for the government.