Emmanuel Macron wants to “mobilize” more young volunteers “to reinforce” the armies

The president wants proposals by May to “allow volunteer youth to learn with the armies and strengthen their ranks”.

The end of universal national service? Emmanuel Macron announced, Monday January 20, a project with vague outlines for “mobilize” more young volunteers “in reinforcement of the armies” in case of need, in the face of “acceleration of perils” since the war in Ukraine. Addressing his traditional wishes to the armies in Cesson-Sévigné (Ille-et-Vilaine), near Rennes, the Head of State insisted on “the accumulation of threats” which forces France to adapt.

“Let’s not kid ourselves”the conflict in Ukraine “will not end tomorrow, nor the day after tomorrow”also launched the president at the same time as his counterpart Donald Trump, who promised a rapid end to this war, was inaugurated in the United States. “The challenge today is to give Ukraine the means to last, and to enter any future negotiations in a position of strengthestimated Emmanuel Macron. The challenge tomorrow, when hostilities stop, will be to give Ukraine guarantees against any return of war to its territory, and assurances for our own security.”

In this context, Emmanuel Macron said he wanted “offer our youth a strong commitment” for him “give the choice to serve“. “Today, we are content with a census, a defense and citizenship day”, “it’s too little”he judged. Without “restore compulsory national service”he said he had asked the government and the army general staff for proposals by May to “allow volunteer youth to learn with the armies and strengthen their ranks”.

“We will have to better detect volunteers”, “train them and be able to mobilize them when the day comes”, “to reinforce armies in mainland France or elsewhere”he sketched. “Defense and Citizenship Day will be renovated and will once again become tomorrow a moment of rediscovered time with the armies”he added. Among the 800,000 young people who pass there each year, “some will come forward and say that they will respond if the Nation calls them”. France is targeting 210,000 active military personnel and 80,000 reservists by 2030.