France introduces voluntary military service amid rising Russian threat

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (Nov 27) announced the restoration of military service voluntarily as security concerns rise over the threat posed by Russia and the risk of a fresh conflict breaking out in Europe. Almost three decades after France abolished conscription, Macron said young adults who wish to join the military can sign up for a 10-month service.

"A new national service will be introduced, gradually starting next summer," he said, addressing troops in Varces-Allieres-et-Risset in southeastern France. The French president clarified that volunteers, mostly aged 18 to 19, will only be deployed on national soil.

The move comes more than three and a half years after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, and is in line with a broader shift in European security architecture, where nations that for decades relied on United States security guarantees are now suspicious of President Donald Trump's shifting priorities and Russia's aggressive stance.

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"At a time when all our European allies are making progress in the face of a threat that affects us all, France cannot remain idle," Macron declared.

Under the new scheme, France is set to incorporate 3,000 volunteers from the summer next year, then increase gradually so as to include 10,000 young people in the army by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035.

Currently, the French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000, respectively, by 2030.

No mandatory conscription

Macron hailed former President Jacques Chirac's decision to discontinue mandatory military services in 1996, saying that conscription made no sense for Moscow's current needs.

"In the event of a major crisis, parliament may authorise calling upon individuals beyond just volunteers," Macron added, and military service would become mandatory, but aside from this exceptional case, this national service is a service of volunteers then selected to meet the needs of our armed forces," he added.

France's top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar in the country last week by warning that France must be ready "to lose its children", adding that Russia is "preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries".

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Earlier, the French President asserted that Paris should not display weakness in the face of ongoing threats from Russia, and emphasised the critical need for strength and vigilance.

“We would be wrong to show weakness in the face of this threat. If we want to protect ourselves, we French – which is my sole concern – we must demonstrate that we are not weak against the power that threatens us the most,” he said during an interview on Tuesday.