The return of a compulsory military service would cost France nearly 15 billion euros. It is the evaluation made by the High Commission for Planning and France Strategy, in a note published Monday May 5 that Franceinfo was able to consult. Emmanuel Macron had asked that proposals be made to him before May to shed light on the debate on the evolution of a national service, between universal national service (SNU), civil service and military service. The Head of State, for his part, has always preferred a redesign of the SNU, wishing its generalization next year.
Several scenarios are mentioned in this note from the High Commission for Planning and France Strategy. first, a universal national service (SNU) “vitamin”, describes as a rise in power of the current SNU to attract five times more young than at present, or 200,000 per year, aged 15 to 17 years. Its cost is estimated at nearly 600 million euros per year. It is a civil service, of a voluntary nature, with missions of general interest in fields such as civil security, solidarity, culture, health, sport or the environment.
Another idea is advanced: that of a compulsory civil service extended to a large majority of an age class. It targets 600,000 young people, with a 75% hypothesis of an age class, and concerns either 15-17 year olds, or 18-25 year olds. This compulsory civil service is evaluated between 1.7 and 3.5 billion euros per year.
The authors of this note still offer a voluntary military service of six months, for young people aged 18 to 25, with a workforce of 70,000 young people per year at an estimated cost of 1.7 billion euros per year.
The High Commission for Planning and France Strategy also imagine the return of compulsory military service. It would be open to 300,000 young people if it is only compulsory for men, and 600,000 if women are affected. It is the most expensive scenario. The projections count on a total annual cost of 7.2 billion euros for a compulsory six -month service limited to men and 14.5 billion euros if it is mixed.
Two hybrid scenarios are also described. The first is a compulsory civil service for everyone, with 12 days of cohesion, followed by five months of mission of the Civic Service type, then a voluntary military service of three months. Its cost is 4.95 billion euros per year for 600,000 young people in civil service each year, and 60,000 which extend by a voluntary military service.
The other hybrid solution is a compulsory service for everyone, with civil and military options: twelve days common to all, then the choice then between a five -month civil service and a three -month military service. The note tables on 600,000 young people concerned at a cost estimated at around 5.2 billion euros.
Whatever the scenario selected, the note wants the commitment to this future national service to be valued in school and university journeys, considered for the calculation of retirement and in the career progress of civil servants. With an idea: strengthen military culture and national cohesion.
In 2023, 56,063 volunteers registered in the SNU, 40,135 young people actually participated in a cohesion stay. That year, the budget devoted to the SNU was 96.3 million euros. For the civic service, it was 524 million euros for 88,000 new young people committed.
