France: Macron announces volunteer military service for aged 18-19

French president has aimed to bolster their military service plan by introducing a new armed wing.

President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new traditional military plan on Thursday, November 27, 2025, where he called on young volunteers to join the Services National.

While addressing a speech at the Varces military base in the French Alps, Macron said, “A new national service is set to be gradually established, starting from next summer.”

As announced by the French president, the volunteers aged 18-19 will start serving in the new military services in a newly introduced 10-month program starting from 2026.

Macron informed, "Young volunteers will serve in France’s mainland and overseas territories only, not in France’s military operations abroad."

The French president has announced 6.5 billion euros ($7.6 billion) in extra military spending in the next two years.

He said France will aim to spend 64 billion euros in annual defense spending in 2027, in the last year of his second term.

This would be double the 32 billion euros in annual spending when he became president in 2017.

France’s military currently comprises around 200,000 active personnel and over 40,000 reservists, making it the second largest in the European Union, just behind Poland.

In addition to that, France wants to increase the number of reservists to 100,000 by 2030.

Moreover, France’s new chief of army staff, Gen. Fabien Mandon, last week sent a warning about the nation’s need to get prepared to “lose its children” in the event of a potential conflict with other countries.