"I'd Rather Do Anything Than Serve": Extreme Statements from German Youth... Why Reinstating Conscription Is So Difficult [Current Affairs Show]

Anti-Conscription Protests in Germany Continue to Grow
"Reminds Us of Dictatorships" ? Resistance to Conscription Persists

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show'

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongseop

■ Director: Producer Lee Mi

■ Guest: Reporter Lee Hyunwoo

Across Germany, protests against the reinstatement of conscription, led mainly by teenagers, have been ongoing daily since last month. Every weekend, tens of thousands of students take to the streets, raising their voices and asking, "Why should we sacrifice ourselves for the older generation?" Some students have even made extreme statements, such as "I'd rather live under Putin," expressing strong opposition. In response to these movements, both inside and outside Germany, there has been criticism characterizing Generation Z as "selfish youngsters making a fuss because they don't want to join the military." However, experts point out that the structural contradictions within German society are too deep for this issue to be dismissed as mere selfishness of the younger generation.

Expanding Anti-Conscription Protests in Germany... Linked to German Social Specificities

AP Yonhap News

The current scale of anti-conscription protests in Germany is by no means insignificant. The movement is spreading, with not only teenagers but also many people in their twenties joining in. This is more than a simple backlash; it is deeply connected to Germany's unique historical context.

After its defeat in World War II, the German government viewed universal male conscription negatively, as it was reminiscent of the totalitarianism of Nazi Germany. During the Cold War, when Germany was divided into East and West, conscription was maintained out of necessity. However, after reunification in 1990 and a prolonged period of peace, conscription became virtually meaningless and was officially abolished in 2011.

As a result, not only the current generation of parents in their forties and fifties, but also most people in their twenties and thirties, have never served in the military. Schools have strictly implemented anti-war and peace education. Germans have such a deep-rooted wariness of totalitarianism that even education about the Nazi Party and Hitler's regime is considered taboo.

AP Yonhap News

Thus, for generations raised and educated in pacifism and anti-war ideology, the sudden outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the government's push to reinstate conscription have become difficult to accept. Furthermore, the German economy has stagnated due to the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, and youth unemployment has emerged as a serious social issue. With jobs not guaranteed, marriage and childbirth rates have also plummeted, leading young people to protest, "Why should we fight for the older generation who already have wealth?"

During World War I and II, patriotism and nationalism were promoted, so young people did not question participating in the war. However, German schools now teach that such nationalism and totalitarianism are dangerous, and that young people at the time were gaslighted by the state into taking up arms and dying in battle. Now, the government is suddenly saying conscription will be reinstated and that they must serve in the military for the country, which young people see as contradictory.

Germany Faces Low Birthrate and Manpower Shortage... Concerns Over Conscription for Women

AP Yonhap News

Currently, Germany's military force stands at about 180,000 personnel. The German government plans to increase this to at least 260,000 by 2035 and to organize a reserve force of 200,000. The government believes this is the minimum needed to cooperate with other European countries like France and the United Kingdom to deter Russia.

Since the war in Ukraine, Russia has increased its standing military to 1.5 million personnel. However, even when combining all North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states, the total is only about 1.4 million, falling short of Russia's numbers. This is why Germany is seeking to strengthen its military. Germany now needs to recruit at least 60,000 to 70,000 more soldiers each year.

Accordingly, starting this year, the German government announced it will send surveys to 700,000 male and female students born in 2008, asking about their willingness to join the military. All male students will be required to undergo physical examinations, and the government plans to select the necessary number of soldiers from among them. With about 350,000 male students, it is estimated that around 70,000 could be conscripted. This means that about 20% could be forcibly drafted immediately.

The problem is that Germany also faces severe low birthrate and aging population issues. The number of students continues to decrease, so while 70,000 out of 350,000 may go to the military now, if the student population keeps shrinking, eventually all may have to serve. The number of voluntary enlistees is also dropping sharply, making it difficult to secure enough troops. These demographic issues are fueling even stronger backlash from German students. There are even concerns that, at this rate, conscription for women could be introduced, requiring all adults over 18 to serve.

All Western European Countries Grapple with Conscription... Public Opposition Is Severe

TASS Yonhap News Agency

The issue of reinstating conscription is not unique to Germany. However, while Eastern European or Northern European countries bordering Russia face little backlash, opposition is particularly severe in Western European countries farther from the border. France, Germany's neighbor, is a prime example.

France abolished conscription in 1997, but when the government mentioned the need to reinstate it, young people strongly protested. The French government backed down and announced a legal revision allowing any male or female volunteer to serve in the military for 10 months. In addition to Germany and France, countries like Italy and Spain, which are large and populous in Western Europe, also need conscription, but politicians do not even bring up the topic. The backlash is so intense that the government could collapse if it is raised improperly.

The strong opposition in these countries stems from the fact that conscripting the entire population to the front lines is reminiscent of past dictatorships. Spain abolished conscription after the Franco dictatorship fell, and Italy did the same after the collapse of Mussolini's fascist regime. These countries have historical backgrounds that make it difficult to ease public resentment toward conscription.

The problem is that, aside from these major Western European countries, there are few countries in Europe with the capacity to secure hundreds of thousands of troops through conscription. Only Poland and Romania in Eastern Europe have such capacity, but they are already frontline states and continue to maintain conscription. Ultimately, many Western European countries must cooperate to defend against Russia, but even if small countries in Northern or Eastern Europe implement conscription and send women to the military, it is not enough to cover the gap.

Alongside political opposition, the low birthrate and aging population are especially difficult problems to solve. While negative perceptions of the military and historical trauma from the era of dictatorship can be healed over time, there is no solution for the low birthrate, leaving governments across Europe struggling with this issue.

For now, the only option in Europe is to recruit large numbers of refugees from the Middle East or Africa into the military, but this is also challenging. Even among those who have settled in Europe, racial discrimination remains severe. Moreover, there is strong resistance to enlisting people with significant religious and cultural differences, and above all, there is the risk that some may be members of Middle Eastern terrorist organizations.

European countries are deeply concerned about this issue. There is hope that technological advances may allow robots to solve the manpower problem in the future, but this will only be possible when technology is much more advanced. For now, it seems necessary to focus on building social consensus with Generation Z and improving perceptions of conscription to reduce resistance to the draft.