France to revive military service via new voluntary national service scheme

France is set to reintroduce a form of military service for youth more than 25 years after the country formally ended conscription.

Under the plan announced by Emmanuel Macron, 18- and 19-year-olds will have the option to volunteer for a 10-month military service programme, beginning next summer.

Those who sign up will receive pay (approximately €900–€1,000 per month) during the programme. The first intake is expected to involve around 3,000 youths, with the government aiming to scale up to 10,000 annually by 2030 and potentially up to 50,000 per year by 2035, depending on geopolitical developments.

The scheme will begin with one month of basic training (including weapons training and military drills), followed by nine months serving in a unit deployed only on French territory — including in domestic defense missions.

Macron underscored that this initiative is not a reinstatement of mandatory conscription, which was phased out in 1996, but rather a voluntary national service aimed at building national resilience amid growing security concerns.

The decision reflects growing anxiety over regional and global threats, especially in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine and perceived instability across Europe.

French defense officials say the new voluntary service will help bolster the country’s reserve capacity, strengthen national cohesion, and ensure readiness without returning to compulsory military duty.  

Source: Reuters; Associated Press; France 24; The Guardia