Emmanuel Macron is preparing the establishment of voluntary military service in France. When will he make the announcement
In a world “full of uncertainties”, in the context of a war at the gates of Europe, Emmanuel Macron could announce in the coming days the establishment of voluntary military service in France, a project under analysis for several months. Thursday is the scheduled date for the presidential announcements, without this having been officially confirmed, reports News.ro citing France Presse.
“In the world we live in, characterized by increasing uncertainties and tensions, if we really want to be safe, we must discourage others from coming (…) France must remain a strong nation, with a strong army, but also with a collective reaction capacity”, said the French head of state on Saturday, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
While the Scandinavian or Baltic countries, neighbors of the Russian giant, have maintained or reinstated compulsory military service in recent years, France suspended conscription in 1997, under the presidency of Jacques Chirac.
“Many neighbors in Europe are reintroducing compulsory military service,” French Army Chief of Staff General Fabien Mandon said on France 5 on Saturday, considering this to be one of the “elements that must be taken into account.”
Emmanuel Macron introduced this idea of voluntary service on July 13 to an audience of high-ranking officers. Confronted with a Europe “endangered” by the “persistent threat” of Russia, “a nation capable of resisting and mobilizing is needed”, he estimated.
In addition to “efforts on our reserve”, we must “offer young people a new framework to serve, in other conditions, within our army”, he emphasized, promising “decisions in this regard in the autumn”.
Asked by AFP, the Ministry of Defense did not want to comment on the details of this service, its duration and its cost. There are “efforts in this sense”, Alice Rufo, Delegate Minister of Defense, simply declared on Sunday at France Info. “Decisions have not yet been made,” a source close to the file told AFP.
Up to 50,000 young people per year
Different scenarios predict a volume of 10,000 to 50,000 people per year, according to several sources close to the file. According to the French media, this voluntary service would last 10 months and would be remunerated with several hundred euros. According to the National Strategic Review 2025, a document summarizing France's ambitions in terms of defense and security policy, the establishment of a “rethought” voluntary military service would aim to “strengthen national cohesion” and “create a reservoir of people who can be mobilized in case of crisis”.
The French army has about 200,000 active troops and 47,000 reservists, and is expected to reach 210,000 and 80,000 respectively in 2030. Voluntary mobilization of part of an age group could serve to satisfy the need to “gain the mass” needed to withstand long-term conflict, General Pierre estimated this summer. Schill, Chief of Staff of the Land Army.
Idea welcomed by the political class
The idea is welcomed by part of the French political class. “Everything that can contribute to the spirit of defense, to national resilience and to the expression of the patriotic feeling that smolders among the population is positive,” commented the president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense of the Senate, Cédric Perrin (Les Républicains) on Sunday in the Tribune.
On the extreme right, the president of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella, declared on Wednesday X “in favor” of the restoration of compulsory military service, “starting with a military service open to volunteers”.
Patrick Kanner, the president of the socialist group in the Senate, remains more circumspect. “I am very cautious about this (…) I believe in today's professional army. Then, if young people want to commit themselves to the nation, of course I agree,” he told France 3 on Sunday.
