Peace campaign in Halle: Young people against the threat of conscription!

Peace campaign in Halle: Young people against the threat of conscription!

In Halle, the debate about the subject of compulsory military service has flared up again, and not without reason. On Saturday, the German Peace Society - United War Resisters (DFG-VK) organized a nationwide information tour to raise young people's awareness of their basic right to refuse military service. At the event, which featured an eye-catching peace mobile and an installation of a broken rifle, an information stand was also set up to give interested citizens information about their rights and options for action. Dubisthalle.de reports that, according to Ralf Buchterkirchen, spokesman for the DFG-VK regional association Saxony-Anhalt/Thuringia, many young people don't even know that they have the right to refuse military service.

The suspension of compulsory military service in 2011 has led to a general loss of knowledge about this fundamental right. The DFG-VK is now planning to counteract this and is concerned about a possible restoration of compulsory military service from 2026, which is being discussed in government plans. A particularly large number of inquiries now come from Saxony-Anhalt - the DFG-VK records at least one inquiry every day and there are over 15,000 nationwide. This development shows that ten years ago, when demand was practically zero, this is no longer the reality.

Growing requests and new laws

Recent developments make it clear how interest in conscientious objection is increasing. According to Tagesschau, advice centers for conscientious objectors are seeing a lot of influx. More and more young people are showing interest in finding out about their options, especially in light of upcoming legal changes designed to make military service more attractive. The new draft law does not initially envisage reintroducing compulsory military service, but a mechanism for its possible reintroduction if there is insufficient enrollment is being considered.

Applications for conscientious objection are increasing rapidly: from 1,079 applications in 2023, the number rose to 2,241 in the whole of 2024. In the first half of 2025, 1,363 applications had already been received by the responsible authorities. This shows that awareness of the topic has increased significantly and that young people are actively standing up for their rights.

A sign for the future

The DFG-VK’s commitment is having an impact. The information tour in Halle was particularly well received by parents and grandparents who are worried about the future of their children. The idea that all young people will soon be automatically recorded again is causing discussions and worried faces. There was a unanimous consensus among the participants that what rights young people have must be clearly communicated. This concern is further supported by statements from military commissioners who call for a compulsory year of service for everyone.

The Green Youth is also involved in the discussion. Jakob Blasel expresses concerns about compulsory military service and wants to increase the participation of young people. “We need more money and places for volunteers in areas such as disaster protection and climate protection,” said Blasel. No matter how the political debate ends, the DFG-VK has clearly defined its task: It calls for strong civil society commitment and non-violent conflict resolution. The future remains exciting - and the public's eyes continue to be focused on developments in the military service issue.