France To Begin Voluntary Military Service From 2026 Amid 'Accelerating Threats'

Last Updated:November 27, 2025, 20:25 IST

Macron announced a voluntary youth military service for 18 and 19-year-olds starting mid-2026, aiming for 50,000 participants by 2035 amid rising European security threats.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the voluntary scheme will be for 18 and 19-year-olds, will be paid and would last 10 months. They will only serve on French soil. (Reuters File Photo)

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday announced new voluntary youth military service will begin mid-2026, which would help the country respond to “accelerating threats" on the global stage.

“France cannot remain idle," Macron said during a speech at the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade in Varces, in the French Alps.

Reuters quoted him as saying that the plan was “inspired by practices of our European partners … at a time when all our European allies advance in response to a threat that weighs on us all".

He further said the voluntary scheme will be for 18 and 19-year-olds, will be paid and would last 10 months. They will only serve on French soil.

The government plans to enroll 3,000 people in 2026 and 10,000 by 2030.

“My ambition for France is to reach 50,000 youth by 2035, depending on evolving threats," Macron said, adding that the participants will be able to integrate into civilian life later or even stay in the armed forces.

This comes in line with nearly a dozen other European nations like Germany and Denmark who have launched similar projects.

Last week, armed forces chief General Fabien Mandon had said that the country needs to steel itself for possible future losses against Russian aggression, Reuters reported.

“What we lack … is the strength of character to accept suffering in order to protect who we are," he said, adding France must “accept losing its children".

On Tuesday, NATO jets were scrambled after two Russian drones crossed into Romania.

According to The Guardian, this was the 13th time Romanian airspace has been breached by Russian drones, the third incident in the past week, and the first during daytime.

Moldova reported six drones entering its territory. One of the drones reportedly was a delta-wing model with a Russian ‘Z’ symbol spray-painted on the tailfin.

The European Union and NATO member shares a 650 km (400-mile) border with Ukraine and has repeatedly reported Russian drone fragments falling on its territory as Moscow targets Ukrainian port facilities along the Danube River, directly across from Romanian villages.

News world France To Begin Voluntary Military Service From 2026 Amid 'Accelerating Threats'

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