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.
Participants will receive pay and take part in all missions, including Operation Sentinelle, France's domestic security operation deployed since 2015.
Macron said the programme aims to enrol 3,000 young people in 2026, rising to 10,000 by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035. He ruled out returning to universal conscription, which was suspended in France in 1996 and ended in 2001, and would require recruiting 600,000 to 800,000 young people annually.
"We need mobilisation," Macron said, stressing France must "be ready and be respected" without targeting any specific enemy. He described the initiative as a response to the "acceleration of crises" facing France.
The announcement effectively ends the Universal National Service programme, a civic engagement scheme Macron had previously championed for all young people.
On Tuesday, Macron clarified the new service was not about "sending our young people to Ukraine." The statement came days after Chief of Defence Staff General Fabien Mandon sparked controversy by warning France must prepare to "accept losing its children" in response to Russian threats and the risk of open conflict.
The programme launch comes as France seeks to reduce its debt amid tight financial constraints.
Twelve European countries currently maintain compulsory military service. In Norway, which Macron cited as a model, around 15% of each age cohort serve for 12 months, selected based on qualifications and motivation.
