Germany approves voluntary military service for 2026

Germany’s parliament has approved a new voluntary military service law. The Bundestag’s official tally shows 323 votes in favour and 272 against, with one abstention, clearing the way for a January 2026 start.

We should place this in context. Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he wants the Bundeswehr to become Europe’s strongest conventional army, a goal he set out in his first major address to MPs in May. That ambition underpins today’s recruitment push.

Here is what changes for young people. From early January 2026 every 18-year-old in Germany will receive a questionnaire. Men must respond; women may respond if they wish. From 1 July 2027, men born in 2008 or later will be summoned for a medical and suitability check known as “muster”. Even declared conscientious objectors must attend the exam, the federal government’s Q&A explains.

The service itself remains voluntary. If a future security shock occurs, or if too few volunteers step forward, ministers could ask MPs to pass a separate law introducing a “needs-based” conscription. There is no automatic trigger in this bill; parliament would have to vote again.

Students are making their views visible. The Guardian counted demonstrations planned in 90 cities, echoing the format of the climate strikes. In Hamburg, police estimated about 1,700 participants while organisers claimed up to 5,000, according to reporting by Die Zeit.

Schools reminded families that Friday is a normal teaching day and that walkouts could be marked as unexcused. Lower Saxony’s education minister also said she understood young people’s anxieties and supported their right to protest, urging discussion rather than disruption.

If you turn 18 in 2026, here is the practical path in plain terms. You will receive the form by post. If you indicate interest, or if you are considered a strong match, you may be invited to an assessment centre. From July 2027, men must attend a muster appointment; women can volunteer for assessment but are not compelled under current law.

To encourage sign‑ups, the government points to pay and training. The Bundestag’s explainer lists a minimum monthly pay of €2,600 before tax for volunteers, a minimum service length of six months, modern training and help towards a driving licence if you stay for at least a year.

Targets are ambitious and will take years. Reuters reports a plan to grow the active force to around 260,000 and expand the reserve to about 200,000 by the mid‑2030s. AP puts today’s active strength at just over 180,000 and notes biannual recruitment updates to parliament from 2027, underscoring the scale of the task.

Germany is not alone in revisiting national service models. In France, President Emmanuel Macron has announced a voluntary ten‑month service for 18‑ and 19‑year‑olds starting in 2026, with participants paid and deployed only on French soil, beginning with an initial cohort of 3,000.

Questions about fairness will keep coming up. Under Germany’s Basic Law, only men can be compelled to muster; extending compulsion to women would need a two‑thirds constitutional change, as German media have noted. That is why the questionnaire is mandatory for men but optional for women.

The same sitting also settled a separate political battle. MPs approved a pensions package to keep the state pension at 48% of average wages until 2031, despite a threatened rebellion from younger conservative MPs; the Left party’s decision to abstain helped the bill over the line, according to the Financial Times and AP.