France reinstates military service: it will last ten months and will be voluntary.

ParisAlmost four years after the start of the war in Ukraine And faced with "growing threats"—that is, the threat of a Russian attack—France is reinstating military service. It won't be mandatory as it was 48 years ago, when conscription ended and the French army was professionalized, but it will have many similarities. President Emmanuel Macron announced that it will begin next year. "There is a generation ready to rise up for the homeland," he declared on Thursday. The French government plans to mobilize some 3,000 young people during the first summer, both men and women aged 18 and over, and estimates that by 2035, some 50,000 people will have completed the so-called voluntary national service (SNV). It will last 10 months and will be paid with a monthly stipend of 800 euros. "This national service can only make sense if it is substantial," Macron stated, adding that the number of available positions will have to be adjusted "depending on how the threat evolves."

In fact, he announced that in the event of a "major crisis," parliament could authorize the recruitment of people other than volunteers. "Then national service would become mandatory," the president explained. However, Macron stressed that this would be an "exceptional" situation.

Russian threat

However, France is taking a further step to prepare for the new geopolitical situation, where the Russian threat is increasingly real. It is not the only country. Other European partners, such as Germany, also plan to implement voluntary military service. In France, voluntary conscription will serve to increase the number of reservists, who could be mobilized in the event of conflict, and to encourage interest in a military career. The French government aims to add 100,000 reservists by 2030. Currently, the country's armed forces have 200,000 active-duty personnel and 47,000 reservists, figures considered insufficient in the event of conflict. Macron assured on Tuesday that the implementation of military service does not imply "sending young French people to Ukraine." The occupant of the Élysée Palace was responding to a controversy sparked by the words of the Chief of the Army Staff, Fabien Mandon, who said that the French must be prepared "to accept losing their sons" because of the possibility of war with Russia in the coming years – Mandon mentioned 2030. This Thursday, Macron emphasized that military service will be carried out entirely on French territory. According to a poll conducted by the BFMTV network, the idea enjoys broad support: 73% of the French are in favor of establishing voluntary military service.