German MPs rubberstamp military service plan amid school pupil protests

All 18-year-old men to be screened for suitability for armed forces, but proposal falls short of conscription

Demonstrators hold a banner during a protest against the planned possibility of compulsory service in front of the German parliament in Berlin. Picture: Markus Schreiber/AP

The German parliament has rubberstamped a new model for military service that aims to boost its armed forces as thousands of school pupils demonstrated across the country against the plans.

The change will include the obligatory screening of all 18-year-old men to gauge their suitability to serve in the military from 1 January, but does not include conscription, as favoured by some conservative politicians.