The Berlin police are conducting a criminal investigation against an 18-year-old student. The reason is a poster with an offensive statement about the Chancellor of Germany that the young man carried at a demonstration against new military service rules.
A demonstration "School Strike Against Conscription" took place on March 5 in central Berlin. Photo: Christoph Soeder/dpa/picture alliance The Berlin police have opened a criminal investigation against an 18-year-old student for insulting the Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, as reported on Friday, March 6, by the newspaper Die Welt. The day before, several thousand teenagers participated in the demonstration "School Strike Against Conscription" due to new military service rules. The young man attended the event with a poster that contained an offensive statement about the head of government. The poster was confiscated, and an investigation was initiated against its owner.
A photo of the controversial poster was published on social media X by the newspaper Junge Welt, which is classified as left-extremist by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV).
According to a police spokesperson, the case is being considered on suspicion of "defamation and dissemination of defamatory statements about a person holding a political office." Under German law, the dissemination of defamatory statements (üble Nachrede) and defamation (Verleumdung) are criminal offenses that can lead to imprisonment.
The dpa agency notes that similar investigations have recently taken place in other cities in Germany. For example, the police in Heilbronn (Baden-Württemberg) recently reported possibly offensive comments about Merz on Facebook. The police stated that if there are signs of a crime, they are obliged to initiate an investigation.
Reform of Conscription in the Bundeswehr
The law on the reform of conscription in the German armed forces, which sparked protests from students, was approved by the Bundestag and Bundesrat in December 2025 and came into effect on January 1. It includes mandatory medical examinations for all young men who have reached the age of 18 to determine their fitness for military service. The service itself remains voluntary; however, if there are not enough volunteers, conscription will be conducted by lottery.
Meanwhile, 59% of Germans are not willing to defend their country with arms, even if it is attacked - according to a survey by the Forsa sociological institute published in August. At the same time, when asked, "Is mandatory military service needed if the Bundeswehr lacks volunteers?" 59% of respondents also answered affirmatively. However, the highest number of opponents of conscription was among young people (61%), who are the ones it will potentially affect.
