President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday in Varces, Isère, the creation of a voluntary and purely military national service lasting ten months for young adults aged 18 to 25. This program, launching in summer 2026 with 3,000 volunteers, aims to bolster the armed forces amid Russian threats. It enjoys broad approval from 80% of French people according to an Odoxa poll for Le Figaro.
During his visit to Varces, within the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, Emmanuel Macron outlined the details of this new national service, which will replace the universal national service (SNU) deemed unfit for the current strategic context. “We cannot go back to the time of conscription,” the president stated, ruling out any mandatory aspect in normal times, but warning that in a major crisis, Parliament could extend the call beyond volunteers.
The service, exclusively military and overseen by the Ministry of the Armed Forces, will begin with one month of initial training, followed by nine months within units on national territory, including overseas. Volunteers, mainly aged 18 or 19 but up to 25 for specific profiles, will wear uniforms and receive a monthly salary of 800 euros, while being housed and fed. They will participate in missions such as Operation Sentinelle or population assistance, without foreign deployment.
The goal is to meet the armed forces' needs amid accelerating crises, targeting 3,000 enlistees in 2026, 10,000 in 2030, and 50,000 in 2035, who will then join the operational reserve. Funding amounts to 2.3 billion euros from 2026 to 2030, through the updating of the military programming law. Meanwhile, the Defense and Citizenship Day will become “Mobilization Day,” with a stronger military focus.
An Odoxa-Backbone Consulting poll for Le Figaro shows that 61% of French people regret the abolition of military service in 1996, and 88% support its return. Approval stands at 80%, crossing political divides: 63% among Insoumis, 82% at Rassemblement National, 83% at the Socialist Party, and 84% among Republicans. This program adds to existing initiatives like the voluntary military service (SMV) since 2015 and the adapted military service (SMA).
