In Germany, about a hundred protests are being prepared against possible conscription

In Germany, on September 25, schoolchildren and young people plan to hold about 100 demonstrations against the new military service order and the possible return of compulsory conscription.

This is reported by Deutschlandfunk with reference to the initiative "Schulstreik gegen Wehrpflicht". Its representative stated that the organizers intend to continue the protests until the possible introduction of compulsory military service is removed from the agenda.

The current action is a continuation of the protests that already took place in the spring. In May, thousands of young people took part in demonstrations in various cities of Germany. In particular, the police counted about 1.2 thousand participants in Berlin, and the organizers reported about 6 thousand protesters in Hamburg.

The reason for the protests was the new military service order, which has been in effect in Germany since the beginning of 2026. It does not mean the automatic return of general conscription: service in the Bundeswehr itself currently remains voluntary.

At the same time, the state has restored the system of registering potential military personnel. All 18-year-old citizens of Germany receive a Bundeswehr questionnaire. Men are required to fill it out, while participation for women is voluntary. The first systematically covered age group is men born in 2008.

For men of this generation, a mandatory medical fitness check is also provided. According to the German government, the corresponding system is being rolled out gradually, and a full-scale mandatory examination of men born in 2008 is expected to be in effect from July 2027.

Key for the protesters is the possibility provided by law of so-called Bedarfswehrpflicht - conscription as needed. If the Bundeswehr cannot recruit enough volunteers according to the established personnel targets or the security situation requires it, the federal government will be able to propose the introduction of compulsory service. For this, a separate decision of the Bundestag will be required.

Thus, general conscription is currently not restored in Germany. However, the new system creates a mechanism that makes it possible to switch faster from voluntary recruitment to conscription if the numbers of the Bundeswehr do not grow fast enough.

The organizers of the current school strike are opposed precisely to this possibility. As RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland writes, the actions primarily invite schoolchildren, although students of vocational institutions can also participate. At the same time, participation in a demonstration during classes does not cancel the obligation to attend school established in Germany.

General military conscription in Germany was suspended in 2011. Its possible return has again become the subject of political debate amidst the increase in the size and defense capabilities of the Bundeswehr.

According to materials from: Deutschlandfunk, RND, German government