Phil Werring, a high-school student from Münster who turns 18 this year, is preparing to refuse military service. An organizer and spokesperson for a nationwide “School strike against compulsory military service,” he says he does not see a security threat that would justify joining the Bundeswehr and plans to register his refusal if called upon.
Germany’s military is currently recruiting intensively and has signaled it may need at least 60,000 additional soldiers in coming years. Conscription was suspended in 2011, but officials and analysts doubt voluntary enlistment will meet the shortfall, and many observers expect compulsory service could be reintroduced. In that context, the Bundeswehr has begun a broad outreach: since early 2026 all young men around their 18th birthday receive a mandatory questionnaire asking about interest in becoming a soldier on a zero-to-ten scale, along with questions about fitness and education.
Answering “zero interest” on the form does not end the process. Young men born from 2008 onward must still undergo a muster, a medical examination by an army doctor, which has been legally required since the start of the year. Women may volunteer for the armed forces, but only men can be obliged to complete the physical exam or be called up for service under current law.
The Bundeswehr’s intensified recruitment, talk of reintroducing conscription, and fears about a possible Russian attack on NATO territory have driven many young men to consider filing for conscientious objection. Germany’s Basic Law guarantees the right to refuse armed military service on grounds of conscience—“Nobody must be forced into armed military service against his conscience.” That clause, shaped by the country’s wartime and authoritarian history, applies whether or not conscription is active and covers active soldiers and reservists as well.
After the 2022 full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, applications for conscientious objection began rising. The Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society (BAFzA) reported a record 3,879 applications in 2025; by the end of February of the current year roughly 2,000 more had been filed.
Filing for objection requires a considered, personal justification. Demand for counselling has grown, and advisory groups are expanding to help applicants prepare statements that explain the applicant’s moral dilemma. The German Peace Society — United War Service Resisters (DFG-VK) has established a nationwide network of more than 200 volunteer advisers. Lothar Eberhardt, who has advised objectors for decades, says the decisive factor is the applicant’s sincere personal conviction: counsellors probe why the individual believes they cannot take part in military service, and interviews often last an hour or longer. Broad or formulaic claims tend to fail; successful applications present credible, well-reasoned personal statements. While many applicants are recognized, some are rejected.
Werring plans to mark his opposition publicly. He intends to answer “no interest” on the Bundeswehr questionnaire and is considering filing for conscientious objection together with friends, followed by a high-profile action to make their stance visible.
The debate over conscription and the surge in objections reflect a broader tension in German society: the need to bolster defense capabilities amid renewed geopolitical uncertainty, and a strong constitutional and cultural commitment to permitting individuals to refuse military service on conscience grounds. This article was originally written in German.