French President Emmanuel Macron is opening a new chapter for French defense: a new voluntary, paid national military service program that will last 10 months and aims to boost the military's numbers at a time of heightened geopolitical tension.
According to the BBC, Macron is expected to officially present the initiative soon, presenting it as a response to the "hybrid confrontation" with Russia and the need for France to increase its defense capabilities.
The program will be completely voluntary, while participants will be paid 900 to 1 thousand euros per month.
This is the first service of its kind in decades and represents a significant turning point in the French approach to national security.
"It has nothing to do with Ukraine"
Amid fears that France could be preparing to send new troops to the front, Macron has vehemently denied the idea.
He emphasized that the program does not aim to send young people to war, but to create a generation prepared and aware of new security challenges.
Confronting Russia and restoring the sense of service
Macron has been warning for months that Europe must prepare for a new strategic reality, where Russian pressure extends from disinformation to cyberattacks.
For him, creating a broad base of trained volunteers is part of modern defense.
The new service comes at a time when the debate on "European protection" has gained momentum and when some capitals are calling for greater citizen mobilization in the face of new threats.