Number of Germans who change their minds about refusing military service grows

BERLIN, October 11. /TASS/. The number of Germans withdrawing their applications to refuse military service is growing amid the conflict in Ukraine and changes in the security situation, the RND editorial association quoted a representative of the Federal Office for Family and Civil Society (BAFzA) as saying.

According to its information, the Cologne-based office received 570 applications to renounce the status of a conscientious objector in the first eight months of the year. Forecasts say this figure could increase to 855 for the entire year, which would significantly exceed the 781 applications received last year. In 2023, the agency recorded 536 such applications, and in 2024 - 626.

A representative of the agency said that to withdraw an application, it is sufficient to send a signed statement in a free form to BAFzA.

"If the application for conscientious objection to military service is withdrawn or the status is revoked, the applicant is no longer legally considered a person who has refused military service. In the event of a resumption of conscription, as well as in the event of a threat of aggression or in wartime, they are again subject to unlimited military duty," she explained.

Earlier, BAFzA said that the number of applications for conscientious objection to military service is also growing and at a much larger scale - by the end of August, 12,102 such applications were received. This is already more than three times higher than the figure for the entire of 2005, when 879 applications were submitted.

The reasons for withdrawing refusals to perform military service are similar. Janosch Dahmen, a Bundestag deputy from the Green Party, explained his decision to withdraw the application to the fundamental changes in the European security policy. The parliamentarian noted that, despite his unwillingness to use weapons against people, he acknowledges the change in external conditions. According to Dahmen, the protection of the state and free society in the event of an attack by external forces cannot remain solely the responsibility of third parties.

On January 1, a law on a new model of military service came into force in Germany. It requires young people to undergo a medical examination and restores military registration. Recruitment into the Bundeswehr is currently on a voluntary basis. According to the new law, adult males are required to fill out a questionnaire about their physical fitness and readiness to join the armed forces. Filling out such questionnaires for women is voluntary. Mandatory military conscription in Germany was abolished in July 2011, after which the country transitioned to a professional army. Currently, the number of Bundeswehr personnel stands at 186,400.