France will introduce 10-month voluntary military service starting 2025, with potential for mandatory service during major crises, Macron announces
VARCES-ALLIÈRES-ET-RISSET: France will introduce a voluntary 10-month military service beginning next year, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.
The move comes amid growing concerns about the threat posed by Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“A new national service will be introduced, gradually starting next summer,” Macron told troops in southeastern France.
Volunteers, primarily aged 18 to 19, would be deployed only within French national territory.
Macron emphasized that parliament could authorize mandatory service during major crises.
“But aside from this exceptional case, this national service is a service of volunteers then selected to meet the needs of our armed forces,” he stated.
The announcement follows recent warnings from France’s armed forces chief General Fabien Mandon about potential confrontation with Russia by 2030.
“At a time when all our European allies are making progress in the face of a threat that affects us all, France cannot remain idle,” Macron added.
The program will begin with 3,000 volunteers next summer, expanding to 10,000 by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035.
Most participants will be aged 18-19, with some up to age 25 possessing specific qualifications.
France joins other European countries like Latvia and Lithuania in reintroducing military service.
This marks a significant shift since former president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997.
Macron has sought to calm concerns about French youth being sent to conflict zones.
The president said Tuesday he needed to dispel any notion that “we are going to send our young people to Ukraine.”
General Mandon expressed no regret over his controversial comments about preparing for potential conflict.
He argued the reactions “show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population.”
The French armed forces currently have approximately 200,000 active personnel and 47,000 reservists.
These numbers are expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030. – AFP
