Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – French President Emmanuel Macron announced on the 27th local time that France will implement a new volunteer military service program to meet the needs of the French armed forces and strengthen France's defense capabilities.
Macron explained the French national conscription system and announced the specific details of the new volunteer military service program at a military base near the southeastern French town of Valls, drawing widespread attention in France.
Macron revealed that the new volunteer military service program will be implemented starting next year. Approximately 80% of recruits will be young people aged 18 to 19, with the remainder being young people aged 20 to 25 with professional skills such as engineering. They will serve on French territory and will not participate in French overseas military operations.
Macron stated that the volunteer military service period is 10 months, including one month of military training and nine months of military duty "according to the operational needs of the troops." Enlisted personnel will receive a minimum monthly salary of 800 euros. After completing their service, enlisted personnel can choose to return to civilian life, join the reserve forces, or remain in the armed forces. He revealed that the voluntary military service program will cost €2 billion.
According to French broadcaster BFM TV, the first batch of recruits under the program is expected to number 3,000 next summer, with the number gradually increasing to 50,000 by 2035. The French armed forces currently have approximately 200,000 active-duty personnel and 47,000 reservists, with an official target of increasing to 210,000 active-duty personnel and 100,000 reservists by 2030.
France ended conscription in the 1990s. Macron reiterated that France has no intention of reinstating conscription and emphasized that implementing the new military service program does not mean "sending young people to the front lines in Ukraine."
According to a poll released on the 27th, over 70% of the French public supports the new voluntary military service program. (End)
