Left Party Leader: Joint Could Help Against Conscription - Germany plans selective conscription for men born after 2008 amid recruitment concerns
A new conscription model could soon return to Germany, targeting young men born after 2008. The plan, agreed by the conservative Union and SPD, would reintroduce selective military service if volunteer numbers drop too low. Left Party co-leader Jan van Aken has already announced plans to publish a guide on avoiding conscription—including controversial suggestions like using cannabis before medical checks.
The proposed system would require all men born on or after 1 January 2008 to undergo a mandatory fitness assessment. If the Bundestag approves the model, those who haven’t volunteered could still be drafted through a lottery system—but only if recruitment falls short. The government has also launched a questionnaire on military service, open to both men and women.
If approved, the system would mark Germany’s return to selective conscription after years of an all-volunteer force. Young men born in 2008 or later would face mandatory fitness checks, with a lottery deciding who serves if too few sign up. The Left Party’s guide, meanwhile, offers methods to bypass the process—though its advice has already sparked debate.
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