France Is Bringing Back Youth Military Service

“PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron is resurrecting military service as a rite of passage for young people, part of a push to put Europe on a war footing to counter Russia.

 

In the Cold War era, many nations across Europe required their citizenry to undergo military training.

 

The new program won't be mandatory for now. Making the service voluntary reflects the political realities of modern-day Europe, where much of the public opposes the notion of sending younger generations to fight in a high-intensity war. France abolished mandatory military service in 1997.

 

Macron and other European leaders are taking a gradual approach with recruitment systems they can rapidly scale up in a moment of crisis.

 

Macron said a new 10-month service would begin next summer with the goal of recruiting 3,000 people to supplement the 200,000 active troops. Recruitment would gradually increase to 50,000 a year by 2035. In the event of a "major crisis," military service would become mandatory for people with certain skills, Macron said, if Parliament authorizes such a draft.

 

"We can't go back to the times of conscription, but we're in need of mobilization," Macron said.

 

Mobilizing European society to replenish armies will require a major shift in collective thinking. Many countries have grown accustomed to the peace dividend that followed the end of the Cold War.

 

Germany also settled for now on a voluntary system to meet its goal of gradually raising its active-duty troop numbers from 183,000 to about 260,000 and more than tripling the number of reservists to 200,000 by 2035.

 

European officials are preparing for a potential conflict. The Trump administration is pushing for Ukraine and Russia to reach a peace agreement, but many European officials are wary of any deal that weakens Ukraine and allows Russia to rearm.

 

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters that European countries were rearming for political gain of their elites or in service of the arms industry. "We don't have any aggressive plans toward Europe," he said.” [1]

 

1. World News: France Is Bringing Back Youth Military Service. Meichtry, Stacy; Bisserbe, Noemie.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 28 Nov 2025: A7.