Germany's cabinet has passed a draft bill which will introduce voluntary military service. The bill could also lead to conscription if more troops are needed.
It's part of a move to boost German national defences, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Compulsory military service in Germany was ended in 2011 under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made boosting Germany's military a priority given the threat from Russia and said we are now back on the path to a military service army.
He summed up his thinking earlier this year saying: We want to be able to defend ourselves so that we don’t have to defend ourselves.
Germany's plans also follow calls by US President Donald Trump for Europe to take more responsibility for its own defence.
When his coalition government came to office earlier this year, it loosened borrowing restrictions to enable a surge in defence spending and then announced plans for 3.5% of economic output to go on defence over the next four years.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants to increase the number of soldiers in service from 182,000 to 260,000 by the early 2030s to meet new Nato force targets and strengthen Germany's defences.
The defence ministry also wants to increase the number of reservists to 200,000.
In the first six months of this year, the Bundeswehr has reported a 28% increase in the number of new recruits, compared with the same period last year.
While support exists for volunteering service, some members of Pistorius's Social Democrat party have critiqued the initiative, advocating for improvements in the Bundeswehr as an employer over reinstating compulsory service.
As discussions continue, various perspectives emerge on whether mandatory military service aligns with modern expectations and requirements for defence.
