🇩🇪 Germany sees fourfold surge in military service refusals

The number of German citizens applying to refuse military service in combat units from January to late September 2026 quadrupled compared to the entire year of 2025. Nearly 15,000 petitions were received this year, versus 3,879 in all of 2025.

Experts attribute this spike to a new conscription law enacted at the start of the year and the Bundeswehr's mass mailing of information questionnaires to all 18-year-olds. While authorities emphasize a voluntary approach, the legislation contains mandatory elements that experts warn are effectively compulsory.

@Slavyangrad