Germany planning to reintroduce voluntary national service for 18-year-olds

Germany is set to reintroduce voluntary national service, with 18-year-olds now being gauged for their readiness to serve in the Bundeswehr, the country's armed forces.

The move comes as it looks to boost troop numbers for Nato obligations, without resorting to conscription.

In a post on X, Germany at Nato said it will look to "strengthen its national and collective deterrence and defence capabilities and build up a strong reserve".

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Under the model proposed by the German government, all men turning 18 – which will be about 300,000 in 2025 – will have to fill out a digital survey on their interest in joining the army.

Young women will also be sent the survey but do not have to respond.

When German conscription ended in 2011, Germany stopped the registration of 18-year-olds for military call-ups, meaning they no longer have a reliable database for who to pick for military service.

The questionnaire looks to tackle this issue and the Bundeswehr will pick "the best and most motivated candidates".

Those chosen will then do a period of between six to 23 months of military service.

The war in Ukraine saw a debate take place in Germany over whether conscription should be reintroduced, to increase numbers in response to Russia.

This new law would aim to once again create an overview of those figures showing who could serve and it is a move the UK has also been urged to take.

In April, the former head of MI6 said the UK must consider a Swedish-style of conscription in order to boost its numbers.

Sir Alex Younger also said Britain needed a "wake-up call" in relation to the size of its Army.

The passing of the draft law on conscription in Germany came as German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-way coalition collapsed, plunging the country into political chaos.

It follows years of tension over how to plug a multi-billion-euro hole in the budget and revive Europe's largest economy, which is headed for its second year of contraction.

Opponents are now calling for Chancellor Sholz to allow a vote of confidence immediately and hold elections in January.