France brings back limited military service with 3,000 volunteers next year

A limited form of military service will be reintroduced in France in response to growing fears of conflict with Russia.

More than 25 years after conscription was phased out, the scheme will see young men and women volunteer for 10 months of paid military training.

“The only way to avoid danger is to prepare for it,” President Emmanuel Macron said as he announced the plan at an infantry base near Grenoble in south-east France. “We need to organize the nation to defend ourselves, to remain prepared and to remain respectful.”

The new “national service” will be gradually rolled out from next summer, primarily for 18- and 19-year-olds, who will receive at least €800 (£700) a month.

“In an uncertain world where the right can prevail, war is in the present tense,” Macron said. The armed forces would benefit from motivated young French men and women, he said: “It is an act of confidence in our youth.”

Initially, the number will be limited to 3,000 next year, but this should increase to 50,000 by 2035.

France currently has approximately 200,000 military personnel and an additional 47,000 in reserves. The new plan should introduce a three-tier structure, comprising professionals, reserves and volunteers.

The change brings France in line with other European countries that have introduced military service plans with different parameters due to fears of Russian aggression.

Belgium and the Netherlands have introduced voluntary military service, and Germany is planning something similar.

Just this month, Belgium’s Defense Ministry sent letters to 17-year-olds inviting them to volunteer for around €2,000 (£1,750) a month.

Further east, Lithuania and Latvia have compulsory schemes, in which cadets are selected by lottery. Sweden, which recently joined NATO, has introduced nine to 15 months of military service with selection based on merit.

Some European countries, such as Finland and Greece, have never abolished military service, while the Swiss will vote on Sunday on replacing mandatory service for men with mandatory civilian duty for all.

Other countries including the UK and Spain currently have no plans to restart it.

French military chiefs are largely in favor of the new measure, which they hope will create a stock of trained personnel capable of supporting professional troops and replacing them in non-frontline tasks.

It is also hoped that many volunteers will go on to lead full military careers.

“The new military service takes us in the direction of the hybridization of the armed forces,” said Thomas Gasillaud, chairman of the National Assembly’s defense committee. “We went too far in the direction of all-professional.”

The threat of an escalating standoff with Russia, if misinterpreted, has become part of the French national narrative. The government has regularly issued alerts on below-the-radar incidents or attempts by Moscow to poison public opinion through social media.

Recently, the newly appointed Chief of Staff, General Fabien Mandon, took alarm to a new level when he said that French military planning was built around the assumption of a confrontation with Russia in the next three or four years.

He told a gathering of mayors last week that the spirit of sacrifice was lacking in France, urging them to prepare opinions for the possibility of “losing children” in the war.

Immediately condemned by sections of the far-left and far-right, in comments deemed unhelpful even by the government, Macron reassured the country last weekend that there were no plans to send young recruits to fight in Ukraine.

Surveys show that a large majority of the public is in favor of voluntary military service. An Elabay poll this week found that 73% supported the measure. Young people – aged 25–34 – were the least supportive, but this age group also had a 60% majority.

The BBC’s random poll on the streets of Paris revealed a similar picture.

“It’s a good thing,” said Luis, a 22-year-old student. “It may help make the army bigger, but it’s also a way to love your nation more.”

Another student, Ilan, said: “In military service you meet people from everywhere. You learn new ways of looking at things… You learn to talk, trust and co-exist with other people.”

Set-designer Brigitte said, “According to what I’ve read in the newspapers, our military is not that powerful – so if we have to prepare for the future, maybe it’s a good idea.”

But Lali, a 21-year-old shop assistant, disagreed: “I think there are more important issues. It’s a pity that the president is not really interested in the youth – their mental health, their financial situation, and instead he is focusing on this military service.”

In 1996, then-President Jacques Chirac decided to abolish military service as part of the peace gains from the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Compulsory military training for youth has been part of national life since the French Revolution, which gave rise to the idea of ​​the citizen-soldier.

A law establishing conscription in 1798 stated: “Every Frenchman is a soldier and is obliged to defend the motherland.” And after the defeat by Prussia in 1871, Republican leader Leon Gambetta said: “When in France a citizen is born, he is born a soldier.”

The Algerian War of Independence was the last conflict fought by French troops, in which more than 12,000 people were killed.

By the 1990s, service was reduced to 10 months, with civilian assignment options offered instead.

Since the last soldier died in 2001, several vague efforts have been made to preserve the spirit of military service, which supporters say has fostered a sense of solidarity and equality.

Lycée (high-school) students are still required to participate in Defense and Citizenship Day, where they are lectured on rights and duties, and take part in a flag-raising ceremony.

In his first term, Macron also established a Universal National Service – a four-week course in civic responsibilities and practical training – aimed at building national solidarity after the 2010 terrorist attacks. But the scheme was pitched as an expensive and low-attendance form of holiday camping, and was axed earlier this year.

Although the new plan appears to be receiving a broadly favorable reception, there are still questions over its funding – a debt crisis looms over the country and Parliament is still unable to approve a 2026 budget.