The president Emmanuel Macron will announce this Thursday the restoration of the military service in Francein voluntary mode, in response to the increase in the threat posed by Russia and the risk of a possible conflict in Europe. The decision marks the first formal return to national service since the abolition of the conscription system almost three decades ago.
According to the Elysee Palace, Emmanuel Macron will explain the details of the measure from 10:00 GMT during a visit to a infantry brigade in the Alpsin the southeast of the country. The communication is framed in the context of more than three and a half years of large-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, a situation that worries the French Executive. Macron and other senior officials have repeatedly warned that Moscow may not stop its ambitions on the Ukrainian border.
The warnings took on a greater dimension after the statements of the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, General Fabien Mandon. The soldier provoked a strong controversy by stating that France had to be prepared “to lose your children” and by maintaining that Russia “prepares a confrontation for 2030 with our countries“. The officer defended his position and stated that he sought “alert and prepare” in a context that he described as “rapidly deteriorated”.
Macron tried to defuse the reactions generated by the general’s statements. During an interview with RTLthe president announced that he would present a “transformation of national service into a new form“, without providing further details. He also assured that he needed to dispel any interpretation according to which “we are going to send our young people to Ukraine”.
A source with direct knowledge of the project told the agency AFP that the plan foresees the training of between 2,000 and 3,000 people in the first year. The goal is to progressively increase that number until reaching 50,000 annual incorporations. “It will start slowly“said the source on condition of anonymity.
Another Elysee Palace official stressed that the program will operate exclusively on a voluntary basis. He stressed that the initiative will be implemented in a scenario of strong budgetary restrictions and that its development will be gradual. The advisor maintained that it was a “realistic” project that “takes into account our current resources.”
The restoration of military service occurs while several European countries review their defense models in the face of increased tensions with Russia. Baltic states such as Latvia and Lithuania reinstated mandatory systems, and other nations, such as Denmark, tightened their conscription regimes.
In the French case, there is no sign that the measure will become mandatory, unlike the system abolished in 1997 by then-president Jacques Chirac as part of a profound reform of the armed forces.
French authorities consider that military service provides recruits for the active ranks, but also a large reservoir of future reservists, available in the event of a possible conflict. Currently, France has about 200,000 active troops and 47,000 reservists. Official forecasts estimate that these numbers will reach 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.
(With information from AFP)
