More and more young people want conscription back.
A military sociologist explains what motivates them - and when approval could increase.
Compulsory military service, yes or no?
Overall, around half (52 percent) of German citizens are in favor of a reintroduction.
Among 18 to 29 year olds it is 41 percent.
This emerges from a Forsa survey commissioned by
Stern
magazine .
16 to 29 year olds are afraid of the threat from Russia
A survey by the Center for Military History and Social Sciences of the Bundeswehr in Potsdam (ZMSBw) also found that 41 percent of 16 to 29 year olds support the introduction of compulsory military service.
was the head of the survey
Timo Graf, who researches German public opinion on security and defense policy at the ZMSBw.
Support for conscription was not always so high.
According to the information, from 2022 onwards it rose from 36 percent to 41 percent in 2023. “The more the respondents perceive Russia as a threat to Germany’s security, the greater their support for military service,” says Count BuzzFeed
News Germany
from
IPPEN. MEDIA
.
The reason behind this is probably the Ukraine war and current developments in the USA: Donald Trump declared during the US election campaign that he would not protect NATO members from Russia, but would “even encourage” Vladimir Putin.
According to Graf, it's not just young men who see a threat in Russia.
The concern is “regardless of gender” and is likely to continue.
“As long as Russia threatens the security of Germany and Europe, the positive public opinion on military service is likely to continue,” says the military sociologist.
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That's why many adolescents still have doubts about compulsory military service
In the Forsa survey, 59 percent of 18 to 29 year olds reject conscription (many Twitter users also feel the same way).
However, the ZMSBw survey comes to a different result: only a quarter of 16 to 29 year olds explicitly rejected military service, 30 percent were undecided.
This is possibly due to the fact that, in contrast to the Forsa study, the respondents had the option to choose “partly, partly”, and 16 and 17 year olds were also surveyed.
Nevertheless, both surveys show that a large proportion still have doubts about compulsory military service.
The reason:
“Especially those who are undecided will ask themselves what military service would specifically mean for them.” However, to what extent depends on the respective military service model, says Graf.
In order to strengthen its defense capability, the Federal Government wants the Bundeswehr to grow significantly.
In fact, the number of soldiers will have fallen in 2023 - to 181,500 men and women.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is currently having various models of compulsory service examined.
+
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has the young soldier explain to him the training on a self-propelled howitzer 2000.
(archive image)
© Daniel Löb/dpa
The Swedish model could appeal to young people in Germany
The model used in Sweden is one of the options available.
All young women and men are mustered there, but only a select few actually perform a service.
It is a type of model obligation.
Under the old conscription in Germany, all men were required to do military or community service.
In July 2011 it was suspended after 55 years under the then Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU).
In comparison, Graf calls the Swedish model “more of a ‘light version’”.
In his opinion, it could ensure that even more young people are convinced of compulsory military service.
“The undecided young people in particular should inform themselves well about this and join in the discussion, after all it is about their contribution to a life of security and freedom.”
So far, a reintroduction of compulsory military service has met with resistance, especially from the FDP, but also from the SPD and the Greens.
(
With material from dpa
)
Category list image: © Daniel Löb/dpa