Emmanuel Macron in Varces-Allières-et-Risset (Isère), November 27, 2025. THOMAS PADILLA/AFP
To add solemnity to the announcement of the new voluntary military service on Thursday, November 27, French President Emmanuel Macron paid close attention to symbolic gestures. Young people involved in various programs overseen by the country's armed forces stood behind him on a large platform with grave faces. The speech took place in Varces-Allières-et-Risset, a small town close to the France Alps, inside the barracks of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade. This unit was formed in the tradition of the Alpine Division, which was established in 1944 with a core of resistance fighters.
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French defense chief's warnings echoed his European counterparts
Despite the gravity of the situation and the strong words from the president, who called on "our nation" to allow "no place for fear, panic, unpreparedness or division," Macron launched his initiative in an atmosphere of relative distance from military circles. This climate was tied as much to the uncertain contours of "national service" as it was to the repercussions of the controversy triggered by the chief of staff of the armed forces, General Fabien Mandon. On November 18, Mandon urged the country to be "prepared to accept to lose its children" in support of the defense effort against Russia.
