Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for 18-Year-Olds
The Bundestag has voted 323–272 to introduce voluntary service from 2026, part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s plan to build Europe’s strongest conventional army after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
All 18-year-olds will receive a questionnaire — mandatory for men, voluntary for women — and mass student protests are planned in up to 90 cities.
Germany scrapped conscription in 2011, but the Bundeswehr now aims to grow from 182,000 personnel to 260,000 by the early 2030s.
From 2027, all men will undergo medical exams, and compulsory service may return if too few volunteers come forward.
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