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6d ago

France Evaluates Overhaul of National Youth Service with New Scenarios

The Haut-Commissariat au Plan outlines options ranging from enhanced voluntary participation to universal mandatory service, as Macron rules out compulsory military training.

Militaires français lors d'une cérémonie à l'hommage de soldats tués en Afghanistan, à Strasbourg, le 18 avril 2025 (photo d'illustration).
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Overview

  • The Haut-Commissariat au Plan (HCP) released a report on May 5, 2025, presenting four scenarios and two hybrid models for reforming France's national youth service.
  • Options include an expanded voluntary Service National Universel (SNU), voluntary military service, universal mandatory civil service, and mandatory military service, with costs ranging from €600 million to €14.5 billion annually.
  • President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed his opposition to reinstating mandatory military service, citing logistical and operational challenges for a professional army.
  • The report highlights hybrid models as promising alternatives, combining civil and military service for all youths at an estimated annual cost of €5 billion.
  • The proposals come as European nations, including Germany and Poland, reconsider military service policies in response to rising regional security concerns.