Overview

• On July 13 President Macron announced an accelerated push to expand France’s military reserve and introduce a new voluntary youth service blueprint to be detailed this autumn.
• He affirmed that service will not be mandatory and confirmed the Service national universel will be discontinued by year-end.
• Seventy-four SMV volunteers and their trainers marched down the Champs-Élysées on July 14 during Bastille Day festivities to mark the program’s symbolic rise.
• The Ministry of Armed Forces plans to boost reservist numbers from 43,794 at the end of 2024 to 105,000 by 2035 to strengthen national readiness.
• Officials are evaluating scenarios to enroll between 10,000 and 50,000 volunteers annually under the revamped service model.