On Friday, more than 45,000 students across various German cities boycotted classes to protest a proposal to reintroduce mandatory military service. The protests erupted after the country’s Ministry of Defence began summoning 18-year-olds for mandatory health examinations.
The “School Strike Against Conscription” initiative reported that protests took place in over 100 German cities. The unrest followed the Ministry of Defence’s move to summon 18-year-old men for health checks to assess their suitability for military service, according to reports by Anadolu.
Protesters claimed that even young men who had indicated zero interest—on a scale of one to ten—in joining the military were being summoned for these examinations.
Golo Kirsch, an 18-year-old student from Kiel, stated that they had been informed the medical examinations would begin next year; however, he received a summons letter a full year ahead of schedule.
“We were told this was part of a voluntary initiative and that health checks would take place in 2027,” he said. “But the summons arrived in my mailbox a year early, and the Bundeswehr [armed forces] claims this obligation is taking effect immediately. We will not participate in forced health checks today, nor will we report to the barracks tomorrow.”
Students taking to the streets on Friday demanded an end to mandatory health examinations, the scrapping of the new military service law, and a halt to the process of gradually reintroducing compulsory military conscription.
Germany’s new military service law came into effect in early 2026. Under this law, all 18-year-old men are required to complete a questionnaire gathering information on their physical fitness, skills, and interest in joining the armed forces.
Although military service remains voluntary for now, protesters allege that the government is moving toward the gradual reintroduction of mandatory conscription. They argue that the mandatory questionnaire introduced this year represents the first step in this process, noting that health examinations have been made compulsory for men born in or after 2008. However, due to limited testing capacity, the rollout is taking place in phases. Nationwide health screenings are scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
The new military service law has been introduced to address the long-standing personnel shortage within the German armed forces. Currently, the country has approximately 186,400 active-duty military personnel.
Amid escalating international crises and efforts to meet NATO-mandated targets, the Ministry of Defence plans to increase the size of the armed forces to over 260,000 by 2035. Achieving this goal will require the recruitment of approximately 20,000 new personnel annually.
However, many analysts believe that reaching this target solely through a voluntary system will be difficult. If voluntary recruitment targets are not met, the country’s parliament will need to review the legislation again; at that point, options ranging from needs-based recruitment to the reintroduction of mandatory military service could be considered.
