French president unveils voluntary military service from next year

French President Emmanual Macron on Thursday unveiled the creation of a new voluntary youth military service to help it respond to what he described as “accelerating threats” on the global stage.

The announcement comes amid growing concerns about Russia’s threat to European nations and whether it can still rely on the United States to guarantee its security.

Speaking at a military base in the French Alps, Macron said men and women aged 18 and 19 will start serving in a new paid 10-month-long military service programme from next year.

"We cannot return to the time of conscription. But we need mobilisation. Mobilisation of the nation to defend itself. Not against any particular enemy, but to be ready and to be respected," he said

Numbers will initially be restricted to 3,000 in 2026, but this should increase to 50,000 by 2035.

Young volunteers will serve in France’s mainland and oversea territories only, not in France’s military operations abroad, Macron said.

“In the event of a major crisis, parliament may authorise calling upon more than just volunteers, those whose skills have been identified during this day of mobilisation, and then national service would become mandatory," he added.

French military chiefs are broadly in favour of the new measure. It brings the country in line with other European nations that have recently launched similar military service projects.

Macron has announced $7.6 billion in extra military spending in the next two years. He said France will aim to spend about $74 billion in annual defence spending in 2027.

France's military currently comprises around 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists, making it the second largest in the European Union, just behind Poland.

It also wants to increase the number of reservists to 100,000 by 2030.