France Launches Voluntary National Service for Youth

President Emmanuel Macron has introduced a new voluntary national service program for young people. It targets French citizens aged 18 and 19. The goal is to recruit 10,000 participants annually by 2030. This initiative follows the end of mandatory military conscription, which France abolished in 1997. The new program is entirely voluntary. Macron announced the plan as Russia's war in Ukraine continues. The ongoing conflict has heightened concerns about security and the risk of a wider war in Europe.