Macron: from 2026 ten-month voluntary military service for young Frenchmen
The project will initially involve 3,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 19, with the aim of strengthening national preparedness in response to current geopolitical tensions.
Key points
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the establishment of a voluntary and 'purely military' ten-month national service starting in summer 2026, specifying that volunteers will serve 'exclusively on national territory'.
"A new national service will be established gradually from next summer," the Head of State said during a visit to the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade in Varces, Isère.
"The core will consist of 18- and 19-year-olds" and will involve 3,000 people in the summer of 2026, before reaching the target of 10,000 in 2030 and 50,000 per year in 2035.
The motivations
Macron declared that 'the only way' to avoid the 'danger' is to 'prepare' rather than feed 'fear', announcing the creation of a voluntary and 'purely military' national service in the context of the Russian threat.
"In this uncertain world, where force makes right and war is a present reality, our nation has no right to fear, to panic, to be unprepared or divided," said the president.
