Obviously, announcements in favor of French rearmament follow each other at an increasingly rapid pace: after the statement, widely commented on and even criticized, by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, who stated on Tuesday that “France must accept the loss of a child” in response to the growing dangers on the European continent, Emmanuel Macron not only reaffirmed his confidence in General Mandon on Saturday, but also made his point.
Traveling to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he attended the first G20 hosted on the African continent, the French president confirmed, this Sunday, November 23 on the sidelines of this summit, that he is considering the creation of a voluntary military service to face the world. “made of uncertainty”, against the backdrop of war at the gates of Europe.
Generating a “rising tensions”, Although America’s peace plan to end the war in Ukraine offers little guarantee of lasting peace, Emmanuel Macron appeared to acknowledge Washington’s reluctance to protect Europe from an escalating conflict. “If we really want to be safe, we must prevent other countries from coming (…) France must continue to be a strong country with a strong army but also have the capacity for collective revival,” he stated from Johannesburg.
The military service reinstatement project, although voluntary, has actually been under study for several months. And it must be officially determined this Thursday, November 27. Emmanuel Macron introduced this idea on July 13, before an audience of senior officers. Facing Europe “danger” by “threat defense” from Russia,we need a country that is able to survive, able to mobilize», he later predicted, promising “decision in this direction in the fall”.
While the Baltic states and Scandinavia, Russia’s giant neighbors, have maintained or reintroduced military conscription in recent years, France still maintains its suspension of military service, which was decided in 1997 under the presidency of Jacques Chirac. “Many neighboring countries in Europe are reintroducing national services,” recalled Saturday in France 5 Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, believes that this is part of“elements that must be taken into account in our country”.
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 “working in this direction”, Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate of the Armed Forces, just stated this this Sunday on France Info.
But different scenarios estimate a volume of 10,000 to 50,000 people per year, according to several sources familiar with the matter. The duration of this voluntary service is ten months and will be paid several hundred euros. The French army has about 200,000 active troops and 47,000 reservists, and should increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030. Mobilization on a voluntary basis of some age groups could be used to meet the needs of the French army.“gain mass” necessary for long-term survival in the event of conflict, Gen. Pierre Schill, Army Chief of Staff, predicted this summer.
This idea was welcomed by some of the French political class. “Anything that can contribute to the spirit of defense, national resilience and the expression of latent patriotic feelings in society is a positive thing,” comment on Sunday Tribune chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Cédric Perrin (Les Républicains). On the far right, the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, said on WednesdayGood» to rebuild the service under the flag, “starting with military service open to volunteers.”
Patrick Kanner, president of the socialist group in the Senate, remained more cautious. “I am very careful in this matter (…) I believe in the current professional army. In the future, if the younger generation wants to commit to the nation, of course I support it. he declared it on Sunday to France 3. But the rise of militarism has also made many observers wary.
On social networks, many internet users do not forget to point out that Emmanuel Macron does not carry out military service and other things “war” threaten France. Such was the fight against drug traffickers, against a backdrop of social decay, that prompted a rally on Saturday in Marseille in honor of Mehdi Kecassi, where many representatives of the political class were present in a rare national alliance.
