French President Emmanuel Macron is set to announce a revamped voluntary military service on Thursday, part of a broader effort to strengthen France's readiness in a more uncertain security landscape.
The initiative updates the underused Service National Universel and aims to align France with other European countries, such as Germany and Denmark, that have recently shifted toward expanded voluntary service.
Macron rejects any return to mandatory conscription, scrapped in 1996, but plans to open new pathways for young people to train alongside the armed forces. France intends to increase its reservist pool to 100,000 by 2030, up from about 47,000 today, raising the total force to roughly 210,000.