Paris: France's recent decision to revive national service has become the latest sign of a broader shift across Europe, where governments are rearming and redesigning their defense systems in response to a worsening security environment and uncertainty over future US support. French President Emmanuel Macron last week unveiled a 10-month voluntary military service program for men and women, with a goal of reaching 50,000 recruits annually by 2035. Nearly three decades after France abolished mandatory service, young volunteers aged 18-19 will begin joining next year, a move the government says will help strengthen national resilience.

According to Anadolu Agency, France is not alone in this approach. Much of Europe is witnessing a wave of conscription reforms, expanding volunteer pathways, and record-high military budgets, largely accelerated by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Several European countries, including Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden, have maintained some form of national service. Recent years have seen a dramatic expansion or revival of these programs. Latvia reintroduced mandatory service for men, with voluntary entry for women, in 2024. Denmark followed in July 2025, extending conscription to women for the first time and lengthening service to 11 months. Norway and Sweden already require both men and women to serve.

In October, Croatia also announced it would restore mandatory military service after nearly 18 years of suspension. Other European states are strengthening voluntary systems. On November 12, Belgium announced it sent nearly 149,000 letters to 17-year-olds inviting them to apply for a revamped voluntary service program, with training to begin next September. Poland launched its largest-ever voluntary military training initiative in early November, aiming to recruit up to 400,000 people through 2026. At the end of August, Germany also passed a new military service law intended to secure a target of 270,000 voluntary recruits by 2035. Beginning in 2026, all young men born in 2008 or later must complete a questionnaire assessing their suitability for service, a measure that could enable future call-ups if volunteer numbers fall short.

Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Transatlantic Security Initiative, stated that European governments are rediscovering the basic challenge of recruitment. People cannot decide whether they wish to serve if they have never experienced the military in any form. She explained that most modern armed forces neither need nor can absorb the kind of mass conscription seen in past decades. This is pushing countries toward designing new models for national service. Braw emphasized that security in Europe is deteriorating, necessitating larger, better, and stronger defense forces. Whether voluntary national service can deliver enough people remains uncertain. Transparency about the threat environment is essential for governments, she argued.

Alongside the service reforms, Europe is increasing defense budgets. At the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague, allies committed to spending 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements and security-related investments by 2035. The European Commission's ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan aims to mobilize up to £800 billion ($929 billion) in defense spending over the next five years. In October, the bloc announced the European Drone Defense Initiative to build a continent-wide network of sensors, jamming systems, and anti-drone weapons. Individual states are also increasing their defense spending. Germany plans to spend £377 billion ($439 billion) for new military procurement under its 2026 budget. In July, Macron announced that France will double its defense budget by 2027 compared with 2017 levels, pledging £64 billion ($74 billion). Meanwhile, Poland's 2026 draft budget earmarks nearly $55 billion for defense, its largest-ever allocation.

Winning public support remains a significant challenge. A report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies warned that pressure to develop a 'more sovereign' European defense capability has intensified amidst the war in Ukraine and uncertainty over future US commitments. Strategic assessments across Europe differ on how quickly Russian forces could pose a direct threat, but most fall within a two-to-five-year window. Braw believes no amount of spending or planning will succeed unless governments can persuade their publics of the need. She warned that if authorities are not transparent about the deteriorating security situation, people will question why so much is being spent on defense.

Braw also backed the recent remarks by French Chief of the Defense Staff Gen. Fabien Mandon, who said societies must 'accept losing their children' in a conflict, and that France must be ready for a clash within three to four years. Braw argued that while his remarks were uncomfortable, they were honest, emphasizing the need for governments to be transparent about the threats facing their countries.