Political Panel survey about conscription, the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) and Social Media
Freiburg, 18/02/2026
A Political Panel survey conducted by the University of Freiburg provides insights into attitudes towards foreign and security policy, as well as the use of media for obtaining political information.
The latest results of the Political Panel Germany survey conducted by the University of Freiburg show that a majority of Germans is in favour of compulsory military service for women. The survey also provides information on other foreign and security policy issues and on the use of media for obtaining political information. The team led by Prof. Dr Uwe Wagschal and PD Dr Sebastian Jäckle from the Department of Political Science surveyed 7,671 people via an online questionnaire for the Political Panel between 30 January and 8 February 2026. The data was adjusted to the population structure using a weighting procedure and allows for generalisable statements.
Majority in favour of expanding conscription
Since 1 January 2026, compulsory military service for young men has been back in force. A majority of respondents support this decision: 64.0 per cent of respondents welcome its reintroduction. In addition, a majority (52.0 per cent) is also in favour of making military service compulsory for women in future.
Support for general compulsory service stands at 48.0 per cent. There are differences between the age groups: while 56.0 per cent of respondents in the 60+ age group agree, the figure is 25.0 per cent in the 18-30 age cohort.
68.0 per cent of respondents see a need for the Bundeswehr to recruit more soldiers. In contrast, 18.0 per cent believe that Germany should invest less money in the Bundeswehr. “These figures indicate an overall stable attitude towards security policy among the population,” says Wagschal.
Social media: intense usage, but rarely trusted
Another finding concerns the gathering of political information. Depending on the age group, between just under 40 and over 70 percent of respondents use social media on a daily basis to find out about political and social issues (18-30 years: 72.0 percent / 31-45 years: 59.0 percent / 46-60 years: 54.0 percent / > 60 years: 38.0 percent).
It is interesting to note that social media is an important source of information, but is viewed negatively by respondents in terms of its trustworthiness. Less than seven percent said they “somewhat” or “completely” trust social media.
Among all respondents, public media (58.0 percent) and newspapers (58.0 percent) enjoy the highest level of trust. However, there is evidence of party political polarisation: supporters of the CDU/CSU, SPD, Alliance 90/The Greens, FDP and The Left Party mostly trust public service media and established newspapers, as shown by the example of public service television: CDU/CSU: 72.0 per cent, SPD: 91.0 per cent, Alliance 90/The Greens: 93.0 per cent, FDP: 51.0 per cent, The Left: 82.0 per cent. In contrast, media trust in this case is lower among people who intend to vote for the AfD (6.0 per cent) and BSW (16.0 per cent).
“We are observing media polarisation along party political lines,” explains Wagschal. “The pattern is very similar to our findings from the survey conducted during the coronavirus pandemic in November 2020 and points to a structural divide in media trustworthiness.”
More information about the Germany Policy Panel and current and past results can be found here:
About the Political Panel Germany
The University of Freiburg’s Political Panel Germany is led by Prof. Dr Uwe Wagschal and PD Dr Sebastian Jäckle, with the collaboration of Kira Kurz, Judith Reinbold, Marius Fröhle and Ronald Schleehauf, who work at the University of Freiburg’s Department of Political Science. The results provide detailed insights into voting behaviour, coalition preferences and, in particular, the foreign policy attitudes of German voters.