Will Germany bring back mandatory military conscription next year?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports from Berlin that Germany’s effort to expand the Bundeswehr is facing early recruitment challenges, raising renewed questions over whether mandatory military service could return. The article focuses on the Military Service Modernisation Act, in force since January 1, which has sent more than 300,000 questionnaires to 18-year-olds about interest in service, fitness and education. Young men must respond, while women receive the forms voluntarily.

The Bundeswehr is seeking to grow its active-duty force by 80,000 to 260,000 personnel and build a 200,000-member reserve. The push is part of a wider shift that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledging last year to create Europe’s strongest conventional army. Al Jazeera says only about 500 recruits have enrolled so far this year, while official figures released July 14 showed 6,000 young men had sought exemption on religious or moral grounds.

The report highlights divided youth opinion. It profiles 18-year-old Rayhan Butt, who plans to join the army’s marching band and supports voluntary military or civic service. It also cites student activist Bela Breitner, whose group opposes conscription and says young people are being pushed toward militarisation while education and pandemic-era setbacks remain unresolved.

Germany introduced conscription in the 1950s and suspended it in 2011. Al Jazeera cites analyst Moritz Graefrath as saying any decision on reviving it will depend on Berlin’s assessment of Russia and the reliability of the United States. A senior politician said Germany may need to decide by next July whether voluntary recruitment is enough.