New army recruits take their oath in front of the Parliament of the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf, Germany, September 4, 2025. MARTIN MEISSNER / AP
While France is only just reviving the idea of reintroducing military service, Germany has been debating the issue for more than a year. The Bundestag formally approved the measure on Friday, December 5, with a final vote (323 for, 272 against).
The proposal, which appeared in different forms in the platforms of the main governing parties for the legislative elections on February 23, continues to draw opposition in Germany. In several German cities, “school strikes” were organized on Friday, following the “Fridays for Future” model borrowed from the climate protection movement. The organizers oppose what they see as a return to conscription, even though the bill submitted to the Bundestag, as in France, only provides for voluntary service – at least initially.
After a heated debate within the ruling coalition, between the conservatives (CDU-CSU), who support compulsory service, and the Social Democrats (SPD), who reject it, a minimalist compromise emerged: Military service will remain voluntary. However, it will allow for a census of the entire eligible population, something the country has not had in recent years. Starting in January 2026, young Germans – both men and women – born in 2008 will receive a questionnaire from the Bundeswehr (the German armed forces), which only men will be required to answer, as a constitutional amendment is necessary to extend the requirement to women.
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