Students strike across Germany in protest against military service
18-year-olds have taken to the street to demonstrate against serving in the armed forces
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Students are striking in Germany against government hints around reintroducing mandatory military service.
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Over one hundred School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service, are being organised across the country including in major hubs of Berlin, Frankfurt, Kiel, and Hamburg.
They come after Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said the nation has to take Russian threats seriously amid the war in Ukraine, and that bolstering the German military is a priority for his government.
“[The government is] serious about gradually reintroducing compulsory military service,” said Bela Breitner, a lead organiser of the protests.
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Merz’ government introduced an act in February which would send mandatory questionnaires to 18-year-olds asking if they are interested in volunteering for military service.
However, if the government is not able to recruit enough volunteers it could introduce the idea of reimplementing mandatory service.
The protests were brought about after some young people who said they did not want to join the military were still called up for mandatory health checks.
“We are serious about striking until compulsory military service is off the table,” said protester Elias Bernhard, from Hamburg. “We will carry on."
A spokesperson for Germany’s Defence Ministry has said that medical examinations apply both to “all men liable for military service who were born after 31 December 2007” and to people who have said they are not interested in compulsory service.
Protests were also held in February, with organisers saying: "We don't want to spend half a year of our lives locked up in barracks, being trained in drill and obedience and learning to kill.
"War offers no prospects for the future and destroys our livelihoods."
According to the ministry, around 1000 18-year-old men with no interest in the military have had a medical exam since July.
Compulsory military service in Germany ended in 2011 under Angela Merkel. However, German forces in the Bundeswehr are currently sitting at 186,700 troops, far below the nation’s and NATO’s aim for 260,000 troops and 200,000 reservists by the early 2030s.