France launches new voluntary military service programme for youth from 2026

Paris [France], November 27 (ANI): French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced the launch of a new voluntary military service programme for young citizens aged 18 and 19, which is set to begin in the summer of 2026, Euronews reported.

According to Euronews, the scheme aims to induct 3,000 participants in its first year, with the government targeting an expansion to 10,000 by 2030 and up to 50,000 by 2035.

Macron said that the recruits will be selected during a "day of mobilisation", based on their motivation and the requirements of the French armed forces.

Volunteers will undertake a 10-month service period, starting with a month of basic military training, including weapons handling, followed by nine months posted with military units operating within French territory, as reported by Euronews.

Participants will receive remuneration and will be deployed on domestic missions, including Operation Sentinelle -- France's large-scale internal security operation launched in 2015.

The French President emphasised that the programme is intended to strengthen national preparedness amid an "acceleration of crises", adding that France must "be ready and be respected".

However, Macron ruled out reviving universal conscription, which was suspended in 1996 and officially abolished in 2001, noting that such a move would require mobilising between 600,000 and 800,000 youths annually, Euronews reported.

The move also signals a shift away from Macron's earlier Universal National Service project, which sought to introduce a civic engagement programme for all young people.

Earlier this week, Macron clarified that the new scheme was not designed to send French youth to Ukraine, following controversy sparked by the French Chief of Defence Staff General Fabien Mandon, who warned that France must be prepared to "accept losing its children" amid rising tensions with Russia, as reported by Euronews.

The programme's introduction comes as France seeks to manage its financial constraints and reduce national debt.

Currently, 12 European nations maintain compulsory military service, with Macron citing Norway's selective service model -- where around 15 per cent of each age group serves for 12 months -- as an example, Euronews reported. (ANI)

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