France Is Preparing to Bring Back Military Service Nearly 30 Years After Its Abolition—on a Voluntary Basis

Against the backdrop of Russia’s military threat and uncertainty over Washington’s willingness to defend allies on both sides of the Atlantic, Europe is urgently reinforcing its defense industry and troop deployment capacities after decades of post–Cold War downsizing.

Despite heavy losses in its war against Ukraine, the Russian threat, according to European military assessments, could become direct within two to five years. At the same time, Washington has made clear that it expects far greater autonomy from EU allies in ensuring their own security.

Yet while investment in defense is viewed primarily as an economic matter, a sharp increase in the number of service personnel also becomes a social challenge—one that is sparking intense debate in several countries.

Last week, France’s chief of defense staff, the country’s top military officer Fabien Mandon, caused uproar in political and media circles by saying the nation must be prepared to “lose its children,” as Russia “is preparing for a confrontation with our countries by 2030.”

A recent think-tank report noted that “most European armies are struggling to meet their targets for recruiting and retaining trained personnel, as well as for building a sufficient reserve.”

According to Sophia Besch, a defense expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a “growing shortage of military personnel” is pushing an increasing number of Western European countries to explore various models of conscription.

“Countries will be forced to expand reservist training, and many will have to rebuild it on a significant scale,” Besch stressed. “For states without a tradition of military preparedness, all of this becomes a politically and socially sensitive challenge.”

Several EU countries already operate some form of conscription, particularly in the northern and Baltic states, where the concept of “total defense” underpins military planning and recruitment is gradually expanding. Finland has one of the largest reserves in the world, relying on mandatory service for men.

Sweden reinstated selective conscription in 2018: mandatory registration applies to both men and women, but selection is based on strict criteria that take into account, among other factors, physical fitness and “willingness to serve.”

In Denmark, the conscription system was extended to women and increased from four to 11 months in June. Estonia maintains mandatory service for men, while Latvia and Lithuania, like Denmark, use a lottery if voluntary enlistment falls short.

Shifts are taking place elsewhere as well. Croatia, which abolished compulsory service 18 years ago, recently reinstated conscription, and Poland is developing a plan for large-scale training of every adult man as it seeks to double the size of its army.

Recent surveys show that in several European countries, including Germany, France, and Poland, a majority of respondents support some form of compulsory service, though certain states still avoid a direct return to conscription.

In Germany this month, following fierce debate, the authorities rejected mandatory service in favor of a voluntary model, but warned that a nationwide draft could be reconsidered if personnel shortages emerge.

In France, the proposed framework is not expected to reinstate compulsory military service, which was abolished in 1997. In several countries, incentive measures are in place for volunteers—cash payments, priority in public-sector employment, or access to university placements.

Military leaders typically stress that volunteers are better trained and more motivated than conscripts, yet a professional army is costly. Conscription not only fills the needs of active units but also creates a broad pool of potential reserves.

At the same time, compulsory service is not a universal solution and can, in some cases, prove counterproductive. “In countries where there is internal resistance to conscription, a mandatory system may even undermine public willingness to strengthen national defense,” Besch noted.

“The most effective European conscription models today rely on a high degree of voluntarism, but fostering a willingness to serve in societies without recent experience of military duty takes time and requires a sustained internal debate.”