French President Emmanuel Macron could announce the introduction of voluntary military service in the country this Thursday.
This is reported by Le Figaro, citing a statement by the head of state, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
This project has been under consideration for several months in the context of a global security environment marked by "insecurity and growing tensions."
"In the world we live in, a world of uncertainty and growing tensions, if we really want to be secure, we must deter others from invading us. "France must remain a strong country with a powerful army, but also with a capacity for collective recovery," Macron said.
The Defense Ministry did not comment, confirming only that "work in this direction is underway."
On July 13, Macron presented the idea of voluntary service to high-ranking officers. Citing the alleged threat from Russia, he stated the need for "the country to be able to resist and mobilize." The president promised to "take decisions on this issue this fall."
Various scenarios are being considered for recruiting between 10,000 and 50,000 people per year. Such military service could last up to 10 months and would be paid "a few hundred euros." The aim is to "create a reserve of men ready to be mobilized in the event of a crisis".
The publication notes that the French army currently has approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists. The plan is to increase this number to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.
Compulsory military service was abolished in France in 1997 by a law passed on October 28, 1997, after President Jacques Chirac announced the abolition of universal military service in 1996. The aim of this change was to transition from a conscript army to a professional one.
We recall that other European countries have also announced plans for voluntary military service.