Schoolchildren in Germany go on strike against military conscription the government hasn't introduced

On Friday, a mass school strike took place across Germany against a possible return of universal military conscription — even though the government has not yet even proposed such a law. The protests were organized by the "School Strike Against Conscription" movement, with participants taking to the streets in various cities, according to the radio station Deutschlandfunk.

Universal military conscription in Germany was abolished in 2011 by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, the German authorities set a course toward strengthening the armed forces, and in January military service for young people was reinstated — but so far on a purely voluntary basis. Every German young man turning 18 receives a questionnaire asking whether he wants to serve, and is required to undergo a medical examination to determine his fitness for service. Young women may also fill out the questionnaire voluntarily.

Despite the voluntary nature of the program, concerns persist in German society: if the security situation worsens or too few volunteers come forward, the German parliament will consider bringing back compulsory service.

What sparked the protest

The immediate trigger for Friday's action was news that some eighteen-year-olds in Kiel and Flensburg had received invitations for a medical examination, even though they have no wish to serve in the army. Why exactly this piece of news caused such an uproar is not entirely clear: since July, around a thousand young men not interested in military service have already undergone the mandatory examinations.

"The questionnaires show that young people don't want to join the armed forces. That's why I took to the streets today. That's why we're striking — and we won't stop until compulsory military service is off the table. We're serious about this, and we'll keep going," said sixteen-year-old protester Elias Bernhard in Hamburg.

A course toward a larger army

The Bundeswehr currently numbers around 186,700 service members. By the first half of the next decade, that number is planned to rise to 260,000, with Germany's reserve force expected to reach around 200,000 reservists.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz