Germans' approval of compulsory military service grows
The Bundeswehr needs to grow, this is undisputed, but the question is: How to achieve that? A majority of Germans want to make nails into heads and reintroduce conscription. The number of conscription supporters is growing.
In the face of the threat to peace in Europe, the approval of the Germans for a possible reintroduction of conscription is increasing. Currently, 55 percent express their approval in the RTL/ntv-Trendbarometer. In April and March of this year, 52 percent had given their approval for conscription to be reintroduced. Forty-four percent were against it in April, and forty-two percent were still against it in June.
This question is evaluated very differently in various age groups. The 18- to 29-year-olds are most opposed to conscription in Germany, with this option receiving only 38 percent approval, the lowest value among all age groups surveyed. The respondents between the ages of 30 and 44 are the most open to conscription: 61 percent are in favor of reinstating the mandatory military service. Among the 45- to 59-year-olds, support drops to 54 percent, but it remains the majority opinion. The respondents over 60 years old support conscription to the tune of 60 percent.
East-West differences also play a role in this issue. In the East, there is no majority in favor of reintroducing conscription: 50 percent are against it, while 46 percent express their support. In the West of the country, 56 percent of the people would support it. Forty percent are against it in the West.
The strongest support goes to the conscription option among Union supporters. Here, 68 percent of the interviewees are in favor. The strongest objections come from Green Party supporters, among whom only 40 percent would support the reinstatement of a mandatory service in the Bundeswehr.
Only 46 percent of the Germans consider the model proposed by Defense Minister Boris Pistorius in the past week, which involves a mandatory declaration of fitness and attitude towards the Bundeswehr, to be effective enough to strengthen the Bundeswehr. Fifty-one percent of the interviewees consider this idea insufficient for recruiting new recruits. The plans call for those who appear best suited based on the declarations to be invited for one-year mandatory registration. There is no obligation to serve. Approximately 5,000 military service personnel are expected to be recruited each year through this method.
The data for the RTL/ntv-Trendbarometer were collected by the Market and Opinion Research Institute Forsa on behalf of RTL Germany on the 13th, 14th, and 17th of June. Sample size: at least 1,003 interviewees. Statistical error tolerance: plus/minus 2.5 percentage points.
Further information on Forsa here.
Forsa Surveys for RTL Germany.
- The approval for a possible reintroduction of compulsory military service in Germany, as shown by the RTL/ntv-Trendbarometer, has increased from 52% in March and April to 55% in June.
- The RTL/ntv-Trendbarometer also reveals that politics plays a significant role in people's opinions regarding conscription, with supporters of the Union party more likely to favor the reintroduction of compulsory military service than supporters of the Green Party.
