Students across Germany staged strikes to protest against mandatory questionnaires and medical exams for 18-year-old men with calling the measures a stepping stone toward reinstating compulsory military conscription.
Demonstrations organized under the banner "School Strike Against Compulsory Military Service" took place in major cities including Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Kiel. Protesters carried signs with anti-war slogans and demanding an immediate end to official efforts aimed at enrolling young people into the armed forces (Bundeswehr).
Under legislation introduced earlier this year all 18-year-old men must complete a military readiness questionnaire and undergo a mandatory medical evaluation, regardless of whether they express an interest in serving. Completion remains voluntary for women. Protests intensified after young men who explicitly indicated no interest in joining the military received official summonses for medical checks.
A Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed that around 1,000 men who showed no interest in joining have undergone examinations so far maintaining that the medical checks are legally required for all eligible men.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has prioritized expanding Germany’s military capacity to meet NATO targets following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The government aims to increase active troop numbers from 186,700 to 260,000 by the early 2030s alongside 200,000 reservists.
While conscription was suspended by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 parliamentary approval could reintroduce mandatory draft measures if volunteer targets fall short or security conditions deteriorate. However the striking students vow to continue demonstrations until all forms of compulsory service are completely abandoned.
