Thousands of students protest Germany's new military service law

BERLIN

Thousands of students walked out of classes across Germany on Friday to protest a new military service law requiring mandatory health screenings and questionnaires for 18-year-old men.

The "School Strike Against Military Service" initiative organized demonstrations in more than 90 cities, including Hamburg, Bochum, Bielefeld, Münster, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and Stuttgart.

In Berlin, over 3,000 students assembled near Hallesches Tor metro station before marching to Oranienplatz, waving banners with slogans like "No to compulsory military service," "Students against wars and rearmament," "Our future is our future," and "We decide ourselves."

A smaller group of protesters also demonstrated in front of the parliament building as lawmakers debated the bill inside.

The Bundestag passed the bill 323-272, with one abstention. It now heads to the Bundesrat, Germany's upper house, for approval later this month, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026, if enacted.

The reform addresses chronic personnel shortages in the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, which currently number about 184,000 active troops. To fulfill NATO obligations, the Defense Ministry seeks to grow the force to around 270,000 by 2035, necessitating roughly 20,000 new recruits annually.

Under the new system, all men born on or after Jan. 1, 2008, must complete a questionnaire assessing their qualifications, fitness, and interest in serving, followed by required medical exams. Participation is voluntary for women.

Service itself remains optional, but if recruitment targets fall short, parliament must review the policy in future years—potentially introducing demand-based conscription or even mandatory general conscription as a last resort.

Germany abolished compulsory military service in 2011, shifting to an all-volunteer professional force.