After Germany, Emmanuel Macron launches a plan for 50,000 enlistments per year. And Guido Crosetto prepares the norm. Vladimir Putin assures: «There will not be an attack on Europe. Ready to sign peace if Kiev withdraws from Donbass”
The three great founding countries of united Europe put on their helmets. After Germany, which in August had started the process for a law on the reintroduction of the military service, aiming to create an army of half a million people, including soldiers and reservists, yesterday France and Italy also started or hypothesized similar projects.
Last November 13th, the parties of the majority that supports the government of Friedrich Merz they agreed on the project of creating a voluntary military service. The decision came after months of negotiations between those who were in favor of a return to compulsory military service for men, perhaps with recruitment by drawing lots, and those who instead favored a less harsh approach, based precisely on volunteering. However, even the German Defense Minister, Boris Pistoriusdid not rule out a “last resort” to compulsory military service. In this way, he echoed the group leader of the Christian Democrats of the CDU-CSU, Jens Spahnwho declared a few days ago: «If voluntary service is not sufficient, then compulsory service will become necessary». From next January 1st, 700,000 children, who will turn 18 in 2026, will have to undergo a medical examination to check their physical and psychological abilities. In the long term, Berlin aims to increase the number of active soldiers, going from the current 182,000 to 260,000, by 2035. In the same period of time, reservists should go from 60,000 to 200,000 units. German secret services have long been warning about a direct military conflict provoked by Russia against NATO by 2029.
Even our Minister of Defense, Guido Crosettojust yesterday, he declared to the microphones of Tg3 that “if the vision we have of the future is a vision in which there is less security, a reflection on the number of armed forces, on the reserve that we could deploy in the event of crisis situations, must be made”. According to the minister, the choice to reintroduce military service in our country, on a voluntary basis, lies with the Chambers. Because of this Crosetto he explained that he will propose «first in the Council of Ministers and then in Parliament, a draft bill to be discussed which guarantees the country’s defense in the coming years and which will not only talk about the number of soldiers but about organization and rules». The head of the Defense also spoke about Ukraine, stating that sending soldiers to Kiev “is not a task neither for Italy, nor for France, nor for Europe”. The latter, however Crosettomust “ensure that there is a just peace, which does not humiliate anyone and which is not called into question a month or two later”.
Also yesterday, the French president also Emmanuel Macronannounced the return, beyond the Alps, of military service on a voluntary basis. The Parisian leader explained that France needs the “mobilization of the nation to defend itself, not against this or that enemy, but to remain ready and to be respected”, in a context of “acceleration of crises and growth of threats”. He also underlined the need to “strengthen the pact between our nation and our army” and the country’s ability to “resist”.
Macron he specified that the young people engaged in “national service” will not go “neither abroad, nor on external operations, nor to the Eastern flank”. However, they will be able to support internal security operations, the “Sentinels” anti-terrorism mission and interventions in favor of the population. The French president also clarified that “national service will be of a military nature and young people will have military status.” In the event of a crisis then, “Parliament will be able to call not only volunteers but also those who have been identified” on the mobilization and recruitment day, he explained Macronalso specifying that, in this case, “the service would become mandatory”.
The new voluntary draft will affect young people of both sexes aged between 18 and 19 and up to 25, for specific profiles. Applications can be submitted from next January, while recruitment will start in summer 2026. For this first phase, 3,000 volunteers are expected, 10,000 by 2030 and 42,500 from 2035, up to 50,000 units. The new French military service will cost “more than 2 billion euros” and, he specified Macron«will be financed with the update of the 2026-2030 military planning law».
