Germany Approves Draft Law Requiring Young Men to Answer Voluntary Military Service Survey

Germany wants to adopt a stronger defense policy in response to the Ukraine–Russia conflict, raising questions about conscription, which was abolished in 2011.

A soldier fires a machine gun from a Leopard 2 tank at the Bundeswehr tank battalion 203 at the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, Germany, on Feb. 1, 2023. Martin Meissner/AP Photo

Germany’s cabinet has approved a draft law requiring young men to respond to a survey about their willingness to serve in the German military.

The country is seeking to boost troop numbers to meet NATO obligations without reinstating conscription, which was abolished in 2011.