French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a significant new military initiative, unveiling a volunteer national service programme for young people, a move he directly attributes to the growing threat from Russia.
A New Generation Rises to the Challenge
Speaking at the Varces military base in the French Alps, President Macron confirmed that volunteers aged 18 and 19 will begin a 10-month military service programme starting next year. He emphasised that this is not a return to the conscription era, which France ended in 1996, but a necessary mobilisation. "There is a generation ready to rise up for the fatherland," Macron told French media. "We cannot go back to the time of conscription, but we need mobilisation."
The programme is designed to foster patriotism and engagement. As part of this broader civic effort, young people will be required to participate in at least one commemorative ceremony per year in their schools. Furthermore, the government will encourage students to complete their second-year internships within the armed forces.
Direct Response to Russian Aggression
President Macron left no room for doubt about the primary motivation behind this strategic shift. He stated the move was driven by the threat posed by Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He warned that this aggression has put the European continent at "great risk".
In a stark warning to radio outlet RTL, Macron said, "The day that you send a signal of weakness to Russia, which for 10 years has made a strategic choice to become an imperial power again, that's to say advance wherever we are weak, well, it will continue to advance." He clarified that young volunteers will serve within France's mainland and overseas territories only, and will not be deployed to the nation's military operations abroad.
Massive Investment in French Defence
Alongside the new service model, President Macron announced a substantial financial commitment to the military. An immediate €6.5bn (£5.7bn) in extra military spending is planned for the next two years.
This injection of funds is part of a larger plan to increase annual defence spending to €64bn (£56bn) by 2027, the final year of Macron's second term. This figure would represent a doubling of the €32bn (£28bn) annual defence budget from when he first took office in 2017.
France currently boasts the second largest military in the European Union, with approximately 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists. The new initiatives support an ambitious target to grow the number of reservists to 100,000 by 2030, significantly bolstering the nation's defensive capabilities in an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.
