Which European countries draft women into the army? And why Germany still doesn't

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Which European countries draft women into the army? And why Germany still doesn't  Germany is planning to bring back a form of military service — but only men are required to sign up. Amid misinformation about the measure online, here's why and how unusual Germany's revived military service is.   READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/19/which-european-countries-draft-women-into-the-army-and-why-germany-still-doesnt  Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages

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00:00Which European countries conscript women into the army?

00:07Conflicting claims are circulating online that women are purposefully being excluded from the German army

00:13and that women are being forced into the German military amid a national debate about mandatory military service.

00:19The German government is introducing a measure requiring all men to register for potential military service from January 2026,

00:27with compulsory service to be reintroduced if volunteer numbers fall short.

00:31While young men will be obliged to fill out the registration and attend compulsory medical screenings, women can do so on a voluntary basis.

00:40The distinction has sparked a wave of debate and claims across social media,

00:44some of which have blurred the line between criticism and misinformation.

00:48As things stand, the German constitution specifically says men may be required to perform service in the armed forces from the age of 18,

00:56but it doesn't mention women.

00:58Women aren't excluded from joining the army, they're just not legally required to do so.

01:02They're increasingly taking up roles on the front line.

01:05This isn't unique to Germany, although some countries that have introduced conscription have included both men and women.

01:11Norway brought in mandatory military service for women in 2015, making it the first NATO country to do so.

01:18Sweden followed suit in 2017 as part of a broader move to reintroduce conscription after suspending it in 2010.

01:25Most recently, Denmark updated its conscription policy to include women in a lottery-style system that will come into effect in 2026.

01:33All the other European countries that have conscription make it compulsory only for men, with women being able to volunteer.

01:40These include Austria, Cyprus and Greece.

01:43In other European countries, neither women nor men are required to serve in the military, but they can volunteer in varying capacities.

01:50We'll see you next time.

01:51We'll see you next time.

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