Forthcoming policy developments

Voluntary military service 

On 19 September 2025, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the phasing-out of the Service national universel (SNU) as of 1 January 2026, with the prospect of replacing it with a “voluntary military service”.

The new scheme would primarily target young people aged 18–19 (upper-secondary pupils and university students). Recruitment would begin on 12 January 2026, with a projected intake of 3,000 volunteers in summer 2026, rising to 10,000 annually by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035. The annual cost is estimated at approximately €2 billion.

Young people would be approached during the “mobilisation day” (formerly the Journée de défense et de citoyenneté), where they would indicate their interest in the programme. Applicants would then undergo an interview, a physical fitness test and security screening. Results would be communicated in May so as to align with the Parcoursup higher-education admissions calendar; selected participants would be able to defer their admission for one year.

The service would last ten months. Participants would receive a monthly allowance of about €800 gross, with accommodation and meals provided, and would be assigned to one of the three armed forces (Army, Navy, Air and Space Force). The period would be recognised as a gap year in higher education, grant approximately 15 ECTS credits and could be taken into account in competitive examinations and admissions procedures.

Ongoing debates

At the initiative of the Interministerial Delegate for Youth, the government’s cross-ministerial youth policy is structured around four main pillars:

• Youth: improving knowledge and monitoring of youth issues and challenges; coordinating the actions of public administrations; and promoting youth participation. An Interministerial Committee for Youth, bringing together around twenty administrations, is regularly convened and supported by the annual public report of the Court of Auditors.
• Mental health: cooperation with the Directorate for Mental Health to develop a dedicated roadmap for youth mental health, including mapping existing programmes, identifying shortcomings and designing new initiatives.
• Engagement: development of a clear pathway for civic and military engagement, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
• Associative life: measures aimed at strengthening and securing the activities of non-profit organisations.

Several cross-ministerial initiatives have also been carried out:

• June 2024: an interdepartmental committee on engagement met four times, involving more than 20 ministries and public agencies.
• December 2025: an interdepartmental committee dedicated to youth mental health was established as part of the national priority campaign “Mental Health” (2025–2026).
• February 2026: an interdepartmental committee on youth policies brought together nearly 20 public administrations.