In a world “made of uncertainty”, against the backdrop of war at the gates of Europe, Emmanuel Macron will probably announce in the coming days the creation of a voluntary military service in France, a project that has been under study for several months.
A Thursday date is being considered for a presidential announcement, without being officially confirmed, according to consistent sources.
“In the world we live in that is filled with uncertainty and rising tensions, if we really want to be safe, we must prevent other countries from coming (…) France must continue to be a strong country with strong armed forces but also with the capacity for collective recovery,” the head of state said on Saturday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
“We need a country that can survive, can mobilize”
While the Scandinavian or Baltic countries, Russia’s giant neighbors, have maintained or reintroduced conscription in recent years, France suspended conscription in 1997, under the presidency of Jacques Chirac.
“Many neighboring countries in Europe are in the process of reintroducing national service,” the chief of staff of the armed forces, General Fabien Mandon, said on Saturday on France 5, believing that this is part of “elements that must be taken into account in our country.”
Emmanuel Macron introduced this idea of voluntary service on July 13, before an audience of senior officers. Facing a Europe “threatened” by the “continued threat” from Russia, “we need a country that can survive, that can mobilize,” he said.
In addition to “reserve efforts”, we must also “give the younger generation a new framework to serve, in other ways, in our armed forces”, he underlined, and promised “a decision in this direction in the fall”.
When asked by AFP, the Ministry of Armed Forces declined to comment on the scope of the service and its duration, as well as its cost.
There is “work in this direction”, said Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate of the Armed Forces on Sunday on France Info. “Arbitration has not yet taken place,” a source familiar with the matter told AFP.
Up to 50,000 young people per year
Different scenarios estimate a volume of 10,000 to 50,000 people per year, according to several sources familiar with the matter.
According to some French media, the planned duration of this voluntary service is 10 months and will be paid several hundred euros.
According to the National Strategic Review 2025, a document summarizing France’s ambitions in terms of defense and security policy, the creation of a “renovated” voluntary military service will aim to “strengthen national cohesion” and “create human resources that can be mobilized in the event of a crisis”.
The French Army has around 200,000 active troops and 47,000 reservists, and must increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.
Mobilization on a voluntary basis of part of the age group could serve to meet the need for “gaining mass” necessary for long-term survival in the event of conflict, General Pierre Schill, Army Chief of Staff, predicted this summer.
The political class is between cautious and enthusiastic
“Anything that can contribute to the spirit of defense, national resilience and the expression of pent-up patriotic feelings in society is a positive thing,” commented Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee President Cédric Perrin (Les Républicains) in the Tribune on Sunday.
On the far right, said National Rally (RN) president Jordan Bardella on Wednesday
Patrick Kanner, president of the socialist group in the Senate, remained more cautious. “I am very careful about this (… I believe in the current professional army. After that, if the younger generation wants to get involved for the country, of course I support it,” he told France 3 on Sunday.
The expected arbitration also promises concerns over the uncertain future of universal national service (SNU) aimed at minors aged 15 to 17.
The civil service, which was launched in 2019 and has had its funding cut, has never found its speed. It basically consists of a two-week cohesion course.
