President Emmanuel Macron will unveil a new national volunteer service Thursday, a key part of France’s urgent effort to bolster its military amid growing fears of a confrontation with Russia. The initiative, which does not reinstate conscription, aims to prepare the nation for what Macron describes as the “great risk” Russia now poses to Europe.
The announcement comes as France dramatically increases its defense spending, aiming for an annual budget of 64 billion euros by 2027—double the amount when Macron took office in 2017. The new volunteer program is central to a broader goal of expanding France’s reserve forces from 40,000 to 100,000 by 2030.
Macron moved quickly to clarify the scope of the service, stating, “We must… dispel any confusion that we are going to send our young people to Ukraine. That’s not at all what this is about.” Instead, the program is framed as a necessary national preparation, echoing a stark warning from France’s new army chief that the country must be prepared for a potential conflict with Russia by 2030.
France is not alone in this mobilization. The move aligns with a wider European trend, as Germany, Poland, and Belgium are also rolling out new voluntary service or recruitment campaigns, signaling a continent-wide rearmament in the face of renewed Russian aggression.
By James Kisoo
