In central Berlin, about 3,000 young people, according to police, gathered under bright sunshine and in calmness, carrying signs like “Friedrich Merz at the front,” “The rich want war, the youth want a future.” “War should never be a solution. Problems should be solved diplomatically,” said Alex Krzeszka, 15 years old.
A controversial questionnaire
Since January 1st, young Germans aged 18 receive a questionnaire from the Bundeswehr to assess their availability and interest in military service. Boys are required to answer it, while it remains optional for girls. If they wish, young people can serve in the military for a minimum of six months.
This new legislation, passed by parliament last December, was initiated by the government of conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, aiming to strengthen the conventional army as “Europe’s most powerful” to counter the Russian threat and compensate for the disengagement of the American shield. Currently, lawmakers have opposed a return to mandatory military service, which was abolished in Germany in 2011.
But some politicians doubt the Bundeswehr can meet recruitment goals without resorting to conscription. The plan is to increase the army’s active force from around 185,000 soldiers to 260,000 by 2030, while quadrupling the size of reserves to reach 200,000 soldiers.
When the army enters the school
In Berlin, Tillmann, 19 years old, who did not receive a form because he was born in 2007 and not 2008, stated he is “against military service and war propaganda.”
“Some eleven-year-olds tell me they want to join the German army because it will help them get a driver’s license at a lower cost,” the young man said. However, according to him, they may “end up in the trenches and, in the worst case, they die or kill other people.”
