France and Germany are to bring back military service to bolster national defence, part of a historic reversal of decades of gradual reduction in armed forces since the end of the Cold War.
The move brings to seven the number of European countries that have reintroduced conscription or military service since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, joining eight countries that never abolished such systems, according to an Irish Times tally.
The trend has accelerated since Moscow’s all-out invasion of Ukraine and since the administration of president Donald Trump in the United States has signalled it has little interest in assisting Europe with its defence.
The programmes typically recruit young people as they finish school and put them through basic military training.
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Croatia reintroduced mandatory conscription for 18-year-olds in October, with conscientious objectors allowed to take on civilian roles such as in disaster response. Poland launched a large-scale public military training programme for all ages this month.
“In this uncertain world where might makes right and war is a present reality, our nation cannot give in to fear, panic, unpreparedness or division,” French president Emmanuel Macron said as he announced a plan for voluntary military service in an address to the armed forces this week.
He told the crowd that France needed to respond to “growing threats”, and would do so in a different way to the compulsory universal conscription that was scrapped by the country in 1997.
“We can’t go back to the times of conscription, but we need mobilisation. Mobilisation of the nation to defend itself, not against this enemy or that, but to be prepared, and to be respected.”
France aims to enlist 3,000 young people in the military service programme by next summer. Recruitment is then intended to scale up to 10,000 per year by 2030 and 50,000 per year in 2035.
The recruits, who will largely be 18 and 19-year-olds, will be paid a minimum of €800 a month while being provided with uniforms, accommodation and meals.
The service will involve one month of training in basic military skills and weapons handling, followed by nine months of service in a military unit within France. After completion, they can become reservists, return to civilian life, or stay in the armed forces.
A poll commissioned by French broadcasters and released on Thursday found the idea was popular, with 83 per cent of respondents saying they supported the introduction of voluntary military service. The support was consistent across age groups, genders, socio-professional categories and political orientations.
It follows an agreement by Germany’s coalition government to introduce a new military service plan aimed to boost the size of its army by 20,000 over the next year.
Currently, Germany’s Bundeswehr has around 182,000 troops, a significant drop in size since Germany ended compulsory conscription in 2011.
The issue is more contentious in Germany and the government decided to pursue voluntary rather than compulsory military service after a bitter debate.
Polling shows that compulsory military conscription has majority support across the population, but a majority of those aged 18-29 oppose it and it is strongly opposed by people on the left.
Under the agreement all 18-year olds will be sent a questionnaire – mandatory for men and voluntary for women – to assess their receptiveness to serving in the armed forces. All 18-year-old men will be subject to mandatory medical screenings to test their suitability for military service from 2027.
Parliament will consider a form of compulsory enlistment if recruitment targets are not met, and if war were to break out, the questionnaires would be used to enlist people.
The plan is due to come before the German parliament before the end of the year, and if approved would come into effect from January 2026.
Poland’s new military training programme aims built an “army of reservists” according to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, training about 400,000 people in 2026 in basic security, survival training, medical instruction, and cyber-safety.
In Croatia, roughly 18,000 young men are to be conscripted for two months’ military training once they turn 18 from next year, a return of mandatory conscription after a 17-year hiatus. Women are exempt.
Denmark extended compulsory military conscription to women this year. Danish women can be called up for 11 months of service once they turn 18. Norway extended its mandatory lottery-based conscription to women in 2015, and in 2017 Sweden followed suit.
Clear signs from Washington that the US is not interested in defending traditional allies across the Atlantic has caused soul-searching in Europe, and a scramble to rebuild capacities that were steadily wound down after the end of the Cold War.
Defence spending by European Union member states increased 37 per cent in 2024 compared to 2021, according to European Council figures.
Luxembourg and the United Kingdom abolished military conscription in the 1960s, while 11 more European countries stopped the practice in the 1990s or 2000s amid a push for pared-down and professionalised militaries following the end of the Cold War.
Eight European countries continue to maintain long-standing military conscription, including Switzerland, Austria, Finland, and Norway. Ireland and Malta have not had military conscription since each gained independence from Britain.
