They will take up arms: Voluntary military service is being returned to France
The French president announced the return of voluntary service in the army, starting next summer. In the first year, it is planned to accept from 2 to 3 thousand people, and subsequently recruit 50 thousand volunteers annually. The service will last ten months, and the salary will be "up to several hundred euros." Prior to that, the chief of the General Staff of the French armed Forces said that the military should be "ready for a clash with Russia in three to four years." Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
We need mobilization
"Young people crave freedom and dedication... There is a generation ready to rise up for the Fatherland," French President Emmanuel Macron said, announcing the introduction of voluntary military service in the country starting next summer.
According to the plan of the authorities, it will last 10 months, during which time the volunteers will receive an allowance of several hundred euros. The Head of State noted that young people aged 18-19 should form the basis of the volunteer army.
"We cannot return to the days of conscription, but we need mobilization," the head of state stressed. However, he added that "in the event of a serious crisis," parliament may "allow the use of additional resources in addition to volunteers."
The authorities plan to accept from 2 thousand to 3 thousand people in the first year, and subsequently recruit up to 50 thousand volunteers annually.
France officially abolished compulsory military service in 1997. At that time, the phased completion of conscription was envisaged: only men born before the end of 1978 were subject to compulsory military service. The last year of conscription was 2001, when 23 thousand people were recruited into the army, who served for six months instead of ten.
After the abolition of compulsory military service, the republic relied on a contract army. Currently, the number of professional army in France is about 200 thousand people. In addition, there are reservists and civilian personnel of the Ministry of Defense.
Natalia Eremina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, notes in a conversation with Izvestia that Macron's decisions are related to the ongoing militarization of public life.
— Militarization is already taking place in all directions. In addition, the task is to staff and expand the staff of such civil services as fire brigades, gendarmerie, civilian sectors are being linked to military sectors, and in general, the task is even to attract specialists from civilian sectors, such as, for example, the IT sector to the army," the expert explained.
The political scientist believes that motivated young people will appear in the army.
— In 10 months, you can get a specialist in specific tasks that the French army needs to solve. This can help young people solve their career problems, because they will be provided with housing, food and will also receive additional payments," the specialist points out.
According to the analyst, the French authorities may in the future expand this program to other age categories of citizens, as well as increase the length of service.
"The army in France is becoming a way of employment, career growth and guaranteed payments," Eremina believes.
Arm yourself against Russia
At the end of July 2025, France unveiled a new national strategy, a significant part of which is devoted to the threat from Russia. The authors of the publication accuse Moscow of waging a "hybrid war" against Europe.
They also acknowledge that the French army is "lagging behind new challenges," while it must be prepared not just for "increasing efforts," but for a high—intensity conflict - perhaps in Europe itself.
The publication notes the need to reform the traditional armed forces in France, increase military production, strengthen logistics, create strategic reserves, and improve air defense and cyber defense systems.
The authors of the strategy emphasize the importance of protecting "common use spaces": the sea, space, cyberspace, and above all the information field. In their opinion, Russia is actively acting in this new dimension of war — in numbers, in minds, in perception.
According to the French national security strategy, the new form of service will be able to strengthen national cohesion and create an additional reserve that can be mobilized in the event of a crisis. At the end of October, the chief of the General Staff of the French Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon, called on the military to prepare for a clash with Russia, which, in his opinion, could happen in three to four years.
Macron needs to fix the rating
Pavel Timofeev, Head of the Regional Problems and Conflicts Sector at the IMEMO of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted in an interview with Izvestia that the French leadership is actively addressing the topic of the "Russian threat."
— It talks about the transition to a "war economy," although this is not the case, warns that the French should prepare for the "loss of their children," and actively calls on Europeans to rally in the face of Russia. However, current financial opportunities do not allow France to increase its military potential enough to make it a leader in the EU in terms of combating the "Russian threat," and in general, the French do not have such an aspiration, the political scientist explained.
According to him, the current rhetoric of the French president is necessary for the consolidation of society, as it raises his status as a guarantor of the country's security, allows him to withdraw additional taxpayer funds as part of "concern for the country's security," as well as stigmatize all those political opponents who advocate dialogue with Russia.
In his opinion, in such a situation, it is possible to strengthen the army.
— But the draft was abolished in 1996-2001, and there is no single impulse from the French to restore it, so the call for volunteers should increase the size of the army without increasing spending on contract soldiers. However, there is a media effect, and no one would dare accuse President Macron of not caring about the country's security, the analyst believes.
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