French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to announce a new national service plan later this week. The initiative aims to enhance the numbers within the French armed forces.
President Macron has clarified that the proposal is not intended to facilitate the deployment of young people to Ukraine. He stated that the framework is designed to address a perceived "desire for service" among French youth and to respond to what he termed "hybrid confrontation" waged by Russia. Macron also emphasized the importance of citizens understanding the armed forces and their operations.
Official details regarding the new service are pending, with further elaboration expected during Macron's visit to an army base on Thursday. French media outlets, including La Tribune Dimanche, have reported preliminary information suggesting the scheme would be voluntary, last 10 months, and offer a monthly remuneration of €900 to €1000.
Conscription in France concluded in 1996. The current national service program, the Service national universel (SNU), introduced in 2019, comprises two weeks of training followed by two weeks of community work but has had limited participation.
Political Responses
Reactions from political figures include:
- Raphaël Glucksmann of the centre-left Place Publique party expressed support for the proposal, advocating for an expansion to a universal and compulsory service, not exclusively military, to foster "cohesion."
- Sébastien Chenu of the National Rally party also supported the concept, suggesting an initial mandatory three-month military service for both genders, with potential for extension.
Context and European Trends
The announcement follows recent discussions concerning France's defense posture. Last week, Gen Fabien Mandon, France's army chief-of-staff, indicated that a primary vulnerability was a perceived lack of will to fight. Earlier this year, Macron addressed the nation, referencing a "turning point in history" and stressing the need for France and Europe to be prepared for self-protection, particularly in light of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and potential shifts in US policy.
Several other European nations have reinstated forms of military service since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These include Germany, which will implement a mandatory questionnaire for 18-year-old men from next year to boost troop numbers, along with Latvia, Sweden, and Lithuania, which reinstated service after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.