Overview
- Youth-led demonstrations in roughly 80–90 cities drew thousands, with police reporting about 3,000 in Berlin, 1,700 in Hamburg and 1,000 in Kiel, and most gatherings remaining peaceful.
- The Bundestag approved the Wehrdienst-Modernisierungsgesetz, keeping service initially voluntary while requiring 18-year-old men to complete a questionnaire and restoring compulsory mustering.
- The law takes effect on January 1, 2026, sending questionnaires to men born in 2008 and later, with nationwide mustering of young men scheduled to begin in July 2027.
- If volunteer targets are not met, the law allows parliament to enact a Bedarfswehrpflicht that could include lottery selection, a prospect protesters cite as a path back to conscription.
- Education authorities warned against absenteeism as some parents provided excuses, the Bundesrat is expected to take up the law before Christmas, and Defense Minister Boris Pistorius praised students’ civic engagement.