France introduces new military service amid growing Russia concerns
President Emmanuel Macron announced that thousands of volunteers aged 18 and 19 will begin serving in the military next year, unveiling a new program aimed at strengthening France's armed forces in response to growing concerns over Russia's threat to European nations, beyond the war in Ukraine.
Young volunteers will serve in uniform for 10 months in France’s mainland and oversea territories only, not in military operations abroad, Macron said in a speech at the Varces military base, which is located in the French Alps, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
“A new national service is set to be gradually established, starting from next summer,” Macron said. “In this uncertain world where power prevails over law and war is an ever-present reality, our nation has no right to fear, panic, unpreparedness, or division.”
The program will start with 3,000 youth to be selected next summer and gradually will increase to 10,000 per year by 2030.
Volunteers will hold military status and receive wages and equipment. After a one-month training, they will be assigned for nine months to a unit in which they will perform the same missions as active military personnel, he detailed.
They will then join the military reserve and continue their education or start working. Those who wish will be able to start a professional career in the active military, Macron said.
Only under “exceptional circumstances” may parliament authorize enlisting those whose skills were identified during a one-day defense course, which all youths go through, and make national service mandatory for those people, Macron said.
Macron previously said France is seeking to boost its defenses as Russia’s war in Ukraine puts the European continent at “great risk.” He has announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra military spending in the next two years.
He said France will aim to spend 64 billion euros in annual defense spending in 2027, the last year of his second term. That would be double the 32 billion euros in annual spending when he became president in 2017.
France’s military currently comprises around 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists, making it the second largest in the European Union, just behind Poland. France wants to increase the number of reservists to 100,000 by 2030.
France’s new army chief of staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, last week sent a warning about the nation’s need to get prepared to “lose its children” in the event of a potential conflict with Russia – words that prompted an outcry across the political spectrum.
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