In the center of Berlin, around 3,000 young people, according to the police, gathered in the sunshine and calm, holding signs like “Friedrich Merz at the forefront”, “The wealthy want war, the young want a future”, and “War should never be a solution. Problems should be solved diplomatically,” said Alex Krzeszka, 15 years old.
A questionnaire causing controversy
Since January 1st, young Germans aged 18 receive a questionnaire from the Bundeswehr to assess their readiness and interest in military service. It is mandatory for boys to answer, while for girls, it remains optional. If they choose, young people can do a minimum of six months of military service.
This new legislation, passed by parliament last December, was initiated by the government of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who aims to build the “most powerful conventional army in Europe” to counter the Russian threat and compensate for the disengagement of the American shield. For now, legislators have voted against a return to compulsory military service, abolished in Germany in 2011.
But some politicians doubt that the Bundeswehr recruitment goals can be achieved without resorting to conscription. The plan is to increase the army’s current active service personnel of about 185,000 soldiers to 260,000 by 2030, while quadrupling the size of reserves to reach 200,000 soldiers.
When the army shows up at school
In Berlin, Tillmann, 19, who did not receive a form because he was born in 2007 and not 2008, said he is “against military service and war propaganda”.
“Eleven-year-olds tell me they want to join the German army because it will help them get their driver’s license at a lower cost,” the young man said. However, according to him, they can “end up in the trenches and, in the worst case, they die or kill others.”
