France has not had a mandatory military service for nearly three decades. Today, as Russia multiplies its threats on the edge of Europe, the country is considering how to boost its military capacity – and that includes growing the armed forces. As a new, voluntary military service aims to recruit young people in the hope they will go on to serve professionally, RFI looks at how this version compares to the conscription of the past.
Faced with an increasingly threatening Russia, the continuing risk of terrorism and a United States administration that wants to pull back military support from Europe, France is looking to expand its military capacity, and recruiting more soldiers has become a necessity.
