France confirms voluntary military conscription in wake of Russia war threat | News World
France will introduce a 10-month voluntary military service from next summer, becoming the latest EU country to hint at war preparations in the face of the growing threat from Russia.
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the expansion of the army, focusing on volunteers mostly aged 18 to 19.
“A new national service will be gradually introduced from next summer,” he declared during a speech to the troops in Varces-Allières-et-Risset.
This makes France the first European heavyweight – and the first nation with nuclear capabilities – to reintroduce military service.
Macron stressed that the volunteers would be deployed “only on national soil” and not on the front line in Ukraine.
The volunteers will benefit from “serious” combat training to “reaffirm the importance of preparing the nation and its morale to face growing threats,” the Élysée declared earlier in the day.
We hope that 3,000 people will join in the first year.
But the new voluntary service could take up to 50,000 people a year as it evolves, as military officials confirm they are “preparing for a confrontation with our countries by 2030”.
This comes as the threat of a Russian attack continues to loom over the continent.
Last week, the French general made headlines by warning that the country “must be prepared to lose its children.”
The United States has made clear that it expects Europe to take care of its own defense and is now counting on it to counter Russian threats.
The International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank said: “Most European militaries are struggling to meet recruitment targets and retain qualified personnel, as well as generating a sufficient reserve. »
Nordic and Baltic States a; already have some form of conscription, with Finland having one of the largest reserves in the world, based on universal male conscription.
Sweden also reintroduced selective conscription, with compulsory registration for both men and women.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, General Sir Richard Barrons said the UK had not invested in “the things it needs for a long war”, instead letting them “wither away”.
He rated civil defense “one in 10” and warned that British institutions still operate on the complacent peacetime assumption that protracted wars no longer take place.
He told the Long War Conference 2025, hosted in Whitehall by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), that the country must be ready for a long war – but that with the speed of production, “at best we will be fully ready in about 10 years”.
Who can volunteer in France?
All French citizens aged 18 and 19 are encouraged to register.
The volunteer service will last 10 months and will begin next summer.
The government hopes to recruit 3,000 young people in the first year and up to 50,000 in the years to come.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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