Military conscription is being normalised again, recast as a civic duty.
Posted: 8th December 2025
Europe is being increasingly militarised. So-called defence budgets swell while social services are squeezed. Military conscription is being normalised again, recast as a civic duty.
Croatia has re-introduced mandatory military conscription, while Germany, France, and Poland are launching voluntary conscription programs next year to compel young people to enter the military.
The right to conscientious objection, and the protection of conscientious objectors, is more important than ever. That’s why the WBW Europe Network has released a statement on conscientious objection, and we’re asking for your help to amplify it.
Here’s how:
Send the Statement to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)
Download the sample letter here.
Use this tool to find your MEPs according to country of origin. We recommend only sending the letter to MEPs from your own country, and where possible targeting members of the LIBE – Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, or DROI – Subcommittee on Human Rights.
Share the Statement on Social Media
Share it on Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. Feel free to add a short caption highlighting its key message and to tag relevant human rights organisations, peace networks, or institutions to spread the statement even wider.
Share the statement within relevant group chats, community pages, and forums.
Bring the Statement into Media Spaces
Write letters to the editor (you can use this guide for support), blog posts, or articles referencing the statement and highlighting the importance of conscientious objection in the current political climate.
Share any published pieces with us and on social media by tagging @worldbeyondwar.
Your support is fundamental in opposing militarisation and promoting the right to conscientious objection. Thank you for your commitment to the abolition of war!
For a world beyond war,
Annachiara Canetta
Europe Organiser
World BEYOND War
[email protected]