Macron Announces New Voluntary Military Service Amidst Rising Russia Concerns
VARCES, FRANCE – French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled plans for a new national service program today, offering young volunteers the possibility to serve in France’s mainland and overseas territories. The initiative, slated to begin next summer, comes as Macron warns of escalating threats posed by Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and signals a notable bolstering of France’s defense capabilities.
Macron emphasized the need to project strength in the face of Russian aggression, stating, “The day that you send a signal of weakness to Russia, which for 10 years has made a strategic choice to become an imperial power again, that’s to say advance wherever we are weak, well, it will continue to advance.” The program will not involve deployment in foreign military operations, and builds on Macron’s earlier announcement of a voluntary service option for French youth. France ended conscription in 1996 and has no plans to reinstate it.
currently possessing the second largest military in the European Union - approximately 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists, behind Poland – France aims to increase its reservist force to 100,000 by 2030. This expansion is supported by a planned €6.5 billion (£5.7 billion) investment in military spending over the next two years, contributing to a broader defense budget projected to reach €64 billion (£56 billion) annually by 2027.This represents a doubling of the €32 billion (£28 million) annual spending in place when macron took office in 2017.
