Emmanuel Macron announced that young volunteers from France will serve for 10 months in a new national service, without participating in external military operations.

The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced the establishment of a new national service for youth, which will start next summer. Volunteers, with military status, will serve for 10 months on the territory of France and in overseas territories, without being involved in external military operations. The program will begin with 3,000 young people, aiming to reach 10,000 annually by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035, depending on the global context. Volunteers will receive salaries and equipment, and after one month of training, they will be assigned to military units.

Macron emphasized that mandatory recruitment is not being considered, and enrollment will only occur in exceptional circumstances. He also highlighted the threat from Russia as a major risk for Europe and announced a significant increase in defense spending, from 32 billion euros to 64 billion euros by 2027.