Context: On September 25, 2026, mass protests took place in Germany in opposition to the potential reinstatement of mandatory conscription. Organizers reported that more than 45,000 students and young people took to the streets in about 100 cities. They protested against a new law on military service and mandatory medical examinations. The law allows the Bundestag to introduce conscription by separate decision if there are not enough volunteers.
On October 2, 2026, Andrei Lazutkin stated on Belarusian Radio’s First National Channel:
“If you look at Western sociological surveys, only 10–15% of people in Europe are at all willing to fight and defend their countries.”
In April 2025, the Polish Public Opinion Research Center (CBOS) surveyed Polish residents about what they would do in the event of a Russian armed attack. Eleven percent of those surveyed said they would be willing to take up arms to defend their country. Another 37% opted to support the defense effort without engaging in combat.
In a March 2026 European Pulse survey, Cluster17 polled residents of six EU countries: France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, and Belgium. Respondents were asked what they would do if their country were attacked. Eighteen percent chose to participate in combat by taking up arms. Forty-seven percent preferred to support the defense effort in a non-combat role, such as logistics, medical services, or civil defense. In other words, one in five Europeans surveyed is willing to fight with weapons, while half are willing to defend their country without them.
Another survey, conducted in September–October 2025 at the request of Rīga Stradiņš University in cooperation with the Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga, covered all NATO member states. More than 31,000 people participated in the survey. Respondents were asked whether they would be willing to fight for their country in the event of war, without distinguishing between combat and non-combat roles. In Poland, 49% answered in the affirmative. Among European respondents, the figures were particularly high in Albania (69%), Sweden (66%), and Finland (64%). The lowest results among NATO countries were recorded in Italy and Slovakia, at 25% each, as well as in Germany, at 27%. But even these figures are higher than the 10–15% cited by Lazutkin.
The Democracy Perception Index 2026, a study by Nira Data and the Alliance of Democracies foundation, provides a broader picture. The survey was conducted in the spring of 2026. On average, 37% of European respondents aged 18 to 55 expressed a willingness to fight for their country in the event of an attack. In the Middle East and North Africa, the figure was 62%.
