President Emmanuel Macron said he will announce a new military service aimed at boosting French army numbers later this week.
Details are scant, but according to French media, the scheme would be voluntary, remunerated, and last 10 months.
In an interview with local media, he sought to reassure French people that the plan did not mean young people would be sent to fight in Ukraine.
We really need to, right now, dispel any misconception that we're going to send our young people to Ukraine, he said. That's not at all what this is about.
However, Macron stated the new framework was meant to address the desire for service among the youth - and to face the hybrid confrontation waged by Russia.
If we French want to protect ourselves... we must show that we are not weak in the face of one power that threatens us the most, he said.
It is very important that as many of our fellow citizens as possible understand what our armed forces are and how they work, Macron added.
No official details on the new military service have yet been shared, though it is expected Macron will elaborate on the proposal during a visit to an army base on Thursday.
French media is reporting that the revamped voluntary military service could last 10 months. Volunteers will be paid between €900 (£790) and €1000 (£880) per month, according to La Tribune Dimanche.
Conscription in France was scrapped in 1996. The current iteration of the national service, the Service national universel (SNU), only includes two weeks of training followed by another two weeks of community work. Introduced in 2019, this program has not gained much traction.
Raphaël Glucksmann of the centre-left Place Publique party expressed support for the proposal but suggested it should be a universal and compulsory service, possibly including non-military options, to foster social cohesion.
The National Rally (RN)'s Sébastien Chenu backed the idea, insisting it should begin with mandatory three-month military service for both genders, which could later be extended.
Last week, France's army chief-of-staff Gen Fabien Mandon ignited controversy by stating that the country's biggest weakness was a lack of willingness to engage in combat, warning of the risk of losing its children in a potential conflict with Russia.
Macron highlighted the current geopolitical climate as a turning point in history, stating earlier this year that France and Europe must prepare for a future where U.S. support is uncertain.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several European nations have reinstated military service. Germany plans to require 18-year-olds to assess their eligibility for military service, while nations like Latvia, Sweden, and Lithuania have also reintroduced or expanded military conscription policies.
