10-Month Service Term, 3,000 Recruits Selected
Macron: "Inspired by the Example of Norway"
France, which currently operates an all-volunteer military, has decided to introduce a voluntary military service system starting next summer.
French President Emmanuel Macron is giving a speech at the Bars military base in the French Alps on the 27th (local time). Photo by EPA Yonhap News
French President Emmanuel Macron announced during a visit to a military base on the 27th (local time) that, in preparation for upcoming challenges and threats, France will gradually implement a voluntary military service system beginning next summer.
President Macron explained, "Military service will be implemented exclusively for volunteers, with the primary focus on young people aged 18 and 19."
The period of military service will be 10 months, with recruits undergoing one month of basic training before being assigned to their units. Next summer, 3,000 individuals will be selected, with annual increases planned to reach 10,000 by 2030 and up to 50,000 by 2035.
France abolished its mandatory conscription system in 1997, following the end of the Cold War, and adopted a professional, all-volunteer military. Currently, the French military consists of approximately 200,000 active-duty soldiers and 47,000 reservists.
President Macron stated, "This military service system was inspired by the example of Norway," adding, "At a time when all European allies are moving forward together to confront the threats facing us, France cannot remain idle." He also emphasized, "Our young people will serve only within French territory," denying any plans for deployment to Ukraine.
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