Germany is bringing back a form of conscription to encourage more young people to become soldiers. But in some European countries, conscription never went away. https://p.dw.com/p/4zirw Soldiers' feet in a line. Will Germany's 'new military service' plan mean a return to conscription?Image: Sina Schuldt/dpa/picture alliance ADVERTISEMENT In 2011, Germany ended compulsory conscription. But the largest economy in Europe now wants to move toward what the German Ministry of Defense is calling a "new military service." This would emulate a system used in Sweden, where a questionnaire is sent out to anybody aged 18. The process will be voluntary — at least, at first. Starting July 1, 2027, it becomes mandatory for all men of that age. "Young men are required to complete the questionnaire," Germany's Ministry of Defense says on its website. "For persons of other genders, answering the questions is voluntary, as they are not subject to conscription." Anybody who wants to join the army then completes an application process and, if successful, is given the status of "temporary soldier," or SaZ. This puts the new recruits in a better financial position and the bonuses are supposed to make longer commitments to the military more attractive. Conscription is not compulsory under the new rules but this model does include the potential for that. Should the security situation change or if there are not enough volunteers, then Germany's government can order mandatory conscription, once they have the approval from the German parliament, the Bundestag. Basically from 2027 on, the compulsory digital questionnaire will let the government know how many possible soldiers it has, where they are, what sort of health they're in, and where it might be best to have them serve. After their voluntary service ends, the young Germans will stay connected to the military through regular service in the reserves — that is, they won't be serving in the country's regular army anymore but can be called to serve whenever needed and to take part in exercises and training. Such an increase in reserve soldiers is crucial to NATO's objectives and the German army is also trying to make up for personnel shortages using this method. Training recruits for the German military.Training recruits for the German military. Training recruits for the German militaryImage: Oliver Berg/dpa/picture alliance France France abolished conscription in 1996 but in 2019, President Emmanuel Macron introduced "Service National Universel," or the SNU. This consists of a one-month program for young people aged between 15 and 17, that is partially organized by the French military but also includes social and civic content. The French have talked regularly about introducing compulsory conscription. In 2018, Macron promised to do so, but up until today, the SNU has remained voluntary. France has neither the funds nor the political support to push the idea further. Instead, the country is focused on reservists. Their numbers are supposed to more than double, from 46,000 to 105,000 by 2035. That's about one reservist for every active French serviceman or woman. The reservists should be able to reinforce the regular army in any emergency quickly. Soldiers patrol outside Gare du Nord train station at the 2024 Summer Olympics.Soldiers patrol outside Gare du Nord train station at the 2024 Summer Olympics. France often deploys its soldiers in domestic situationsImage: Mark Baker/AP Photo/picture alliance United Kingdom Conscription was abolished in the UK in 1960. The country maintains a professional army but, like Germany, is short of voluntary recruits. However military analysts have warned that bringing back conscription is not an efficient or practical way of resolving this problem. Instead they recommend expanding the UK's reserve forces too. Poland Germany's eastern neighbor abolished conscription in 2008 but since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has been rearming, more so than most other European nations in fact. The Polish army wants to grow to 300,000 soldiers by 2035. Around 50,000 of them will be part of the Territorial Defense Forces, a sort of home guard where part-time soldiers bring civilian skills to the military. Poland also has reservists, with former soldiers continuing to train. Poland has also instituted military training at high schools, with children aged between 14 and 16 learning about state security, rescue work in, for example, accidents and disasters, as well as basic first aid and health education. The children are also taught how to use a gun in classes that last around an hour a week. Polish soldiers take part in a NATO exercise.