France will launch a voluntary military service programme in summer 2026, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday during a speech in Varces in the Alps.
The scheme will recruit 18 and 19-year-olds selected during a "day of mobilisation" based on their motivation and the needs of the armed forces. Volunteers will serve for ten months, beginning with one month of initial training in basic military skills and weapons handling, followed by nine months in a military unit deployed only on French territory.
