President Emmanuel Macron’s original vision for the service was much more militaristic.
« The (program) will be a time to meet others that will be useful and profitable for every young person, and a special opportunity to learn and receive, but also to give and engage, regardless of social background. »
Program set to start in 2019
The program will be done in two parts. The first part lasts for about a month and requires participants to live together as they « develop a culture of commitment to strengthen their place and role in society. »
For the second part, the young people will be encouraged to a voluntarily commitment of at least three months. During this time their activities could be related to defense and security in the army, police, gendarmerie, fire service, or civil security; accompanying and helping others; helping preserve national heritage or the environment; or tutoring.
The service program will start at the beginning of the 2019 school year, an official with France’s Education Ministry said. The Elysee Palace said a working group hopes to make formal recommendations to Macron on how to specifically implement the service program by the end of the year.
« There are many questions to ask, » French Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said.
Poll shows support from French people
Macron, who didn’t serve in the armed forces, first brought up the idea for a revival of a national service program during a speech in March 2017, although his original vision was much more militaristic.
« Through a direct experience of the military life, its know-how and its requirements, every young French person will go to meet their fellow citizens, will experience social diversity, and republican cohesion for a month, » he said. « It will help young people to prepare their entry into professional life as well as into their life as citizens. «
A YouGov poll in February 2018 showed that 60% of French people favored a compulsory national service of between three and six months.
Mandatory military service in France ended in 1997.
