Germans more likely to flee war than fight: Survey

BERLIN

Should there be a military attack on Germany, very few German citizens would be prepared to defend their country with weapon in hand, said a new survey.

Only 5% would volunteer for military service, according to the results of a survey done by pollster YouGov, which was published on Friday.

Some 33% of the respondents said they would try to continue their usual life as far as possible, but 24% said they would leave the country as soon as possible in the event of a military conflict. The poll comes at a time when Germany is debating whether to reintroduce conscription, and as the war in nearby Ukraine is about to hit the one-year mark.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius recently described the 2011 suspension of compulsory military service by the government as a mistake, but at the same time stressed that it could not be brought back "in the blink of an eye."