The number of people in Germany refusing military service is increasing

2026-03-30 07:59:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Phil Werring is considering refusing to join the military. He says he absolutely does not want to join the Bundeswehr.

"They always say it's about defense ," the student says, adding that he sees no threat: "That's why I have no interest in doing compulsory military service in the Bundeswehr."

In Germany, the army is still all-volunteer. But that could change soon. The Bundeswehr will need at least 60,000 additional soldiers in the coming years. It is unlikely that so many volunteers will sign up in Germany. It is not just military experts who think so.

Phil Werring doesn't believe this either: "It's a matter of days before compulsory military service is introduced."

Together with like-minded people, the student is organizing "anti-recruitment strikes" across the country. Phil, who is in the 12th grade at high school in Münster, is one of the spokespersons for the initiative.

He turns 18 this year, and the topic of military service is a topic that preoccupies him and his friends. This is also related to the new military service law. Since the beginning of the year, the Bundeswehr has been sending out a questionnaire that they must fill out and return.

Questions in the questionnaire

"Are you interested in becoming a soldier on a voluntary basis?" the questionnaire asks. There is a scale from zero to ten for the answer. Zero means "no interest." Further questions relate to physical condition and level of education.

However, the story doesn't end with filling out the questionnaire. Even someone with "zero interest" in the military profession cannot avoid a medical examination in the Bundeswehr. This has been mandatory for men born since the beginning of the year.

Women can voluntarily apply for service in the Bundeswehr. However, only men can legally commit to a medical examination or military service.

The Bundeswehr's recruitment offensive, the possible return of compulsory military service and the discussion of a possible Russian attack on NATO territory - all this has consequences. For many young people, it is an occasion to consider applying for conscientious objection. Because, once it is recognized that he has a conscientious objection to military service, he cannot be called up for military service, not even in the case of defense.

Opposition - a right guaranteed by the Constitution

"No one shall be compelled against his conscience to serve in the army or to bear arms ," ??states the German Constitution, as a reaction to the experiences of two world wars and the Nazi dictatorship.

In doing so, it is not important whether compulsory military service is or is not... Not only those who have never served in the army can refuse military service, but also active soldiers and reservists. After compulsory military service was suspended in 2011 and the Bundeswehr was significantly reduced, only a small number of people refused military service.

However, since the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2022, this has changed again. Since then, the number of conscientious objectors has been steadily increasing. Last year, a new record was reached with 3,879 applications, a spokeswoman for the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society Affairs (BAFzA) told DW. The trend continued in the first two months of this year: by the end of February, almost 2,000 refusals to military service had been received.

These issues are dealt with by counseling centers and they are seeing an increasing number of inquiries. The German Peace Association - United Opponents of Military Service (DFG-VK) has now set up a network of more than 200 volunteer counselors throughout the country.

Personal dilemmas

In Berlin, Lothar Eberhardt has been conducting numerous interviews and providing advice at the DFG-VK offices in recent weeks. This mainly concerns the main part of the application - the personal justification for why one cannot serve in the military due to conscientious objection.

"What is this dilemma of conscience and what is personal about a person that made him say no to war?"

"That's what I try to get out of the person I'm talking to," Eberhardt tells DW. Such a conversation can sometimes last an hour or an hour and a half. Eberhardt has worked as a consultant for about 50 years.

Ready-made texts and general arguments do not help the applicant much - personal justification must convince the decision-makers.

"If someone has thought seriously about their justification and has convincingly described their moral dilemmas and conflicts, then there is usually nothing to prevent the application from being accepted ," the consultant says. However, it does happen that applications are rejected.

Phil Werring is also considering the possibility of filing an application to object to military service. He can imagine joining forces with friends and comrades to object to military service.

"Then we would show that we have no interest in being sent to war." When he receives the Bundeswehr questionnaire, he will definitely circle "zero interest." /DW