New recruits of the German Army Bundeswehr attend a ceremony to take the oath in front of the North Rhine-Westphalia state parliament in Duesseldorf, Germany, on Sept. 4, 2025. Martin Meissner/AP PhotoGerman lawmakers on Dec. 5 backed the government’s plans to create a legal framework for a “new, attractive military service,” aimed at boosting the number of people in the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces.The law was passed in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag—323 in favor to 272 against, with one abstention. It stops short of conscription but leaves the option open in the event that a voluntary drive fails to produce the required numbers of military personnel.
German Lawmakers Back Voluntary Military Service Law, Leave Open Possibility of Conscription
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