Overview

• Matignon announced the SNU’s mise en extinction and the forthcoming creation of a service militaire volontaire, presented in a government communiqué on 19 September.
• After initial reactions, the prime minister’s office clarified that Friday’s move formally targets the SNU’s managing delegation rather than declaring an immediate end to the public policy.
• The program’s activities are set to be reworked into a parcours d’engagement under the youth directorate DJEPVA, with design details and timelines still to be specified.
• Persistent shortfalls helped drive the shift, with only about 35,700 registrations in autumn 2024 against targets of 80,000 in 2024 and 66,000 in 2025, and funding cut from €130 million to €80 million.
• The Cour des comptes criticized unclear objectives and underestimated costs, and a National Assembly commission this week reviewed an opposition report recommending the SNU’s suppression.