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France Launches Voluntary Military Service as Macron Warns: “Europe Must Not Be Weak”
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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the launch of a new voluntary military service programme, aimed at strengthening France’s defences as concerns grow over Russia’s threat to Europe. Speaking during a visit to an infantry brigade in southeastern France, Macron said the 10-month service will begin next year, with a target of 50,000 volunteers annually by 2035, France24 reported on November 27.
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The initiative marks France’s most significant move toward rebuilding military preparedness since conscription was abolished in 1996. The programme will be limited to service within mainland France and overseas territories, not foreign deployments. Roughly 80% of participants will be 18- and 19-year-olds, while older volunteers up to age 25 with specialised skills, such as engineers, may also join.
Macron framed the effort as a response to rising instability in Europe more than three and a half years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He warned that Moscow would continue advancing “wherever we are weak” unless Europe presents a united and credible deterrent. France plans to increase annual defense spending to $74 billion by 2027, doubling levels from when he took office in 2017.
The announcement comes after France’s armed forces chief of staff, General Fabien Mandon, drew controversy by saying the country must be ready “to lose its children” in a future conflict. Macron has since sought to calm the backlash, emphasising that the new service is not a step toward sending French youth into war. Instead, Paris aims to expand its pool of reservists and align with European neighbours, including Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark, that have already reinforced or revived military service, according to France24.
France’s armed forces currently count about 200,000 active personnel and 47,000 reservists. By 2030, the government expects to increase those numbers to 210,000 and 100,000 respectively as Europe prepares for what Macron has called a “rapidly deteriorating” security environment.
Previously, it was reported that France has begun field-testing new anti-drone and anti-mine protection for its Leclerc XLR main battle tanks, drawing heavily on lessons from Ukraine’s front lines, where cheap FPV drones and improvised explosives have forced rapid adaptations across NATO.
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