Overview
- Volunteers will serve only within metropolitan France and overseas territories, with no deployments abroad.
- The rollout begins with about 3,000 recruits in 2026, aiming for around 10,000 by 2030 and roughly 50,000 annually by 2035.
- Designed mainly for 18- and 19-year-olds, the program runs 10 months with one month of basic training followed by nine months embedded in units.
- Participants will receive about €800 per month, with funding set in the 2026–2030 military program and an estimated cost a little over €2 billion.
- Macron paired the plan with defense budget increases and reserve expansion goals for 2030, stressing that volunteers will not be sent to Ukraine after controversy over Gen. Fabien Mandon’s remarks.