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France will introduce a voluntary military service of 10 months beginning next year, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, in the face of what it views as a growing threat posed by Russia.Almost three decades after France scrapped conscription, the head of state said young adults who wished to could sign up for a 10-month military service."A new national service will be introduced, gradually starting next summer," he said during a speech to troops in Varces-Allieres-et-Risset in southeastern France.But he said volunteers, mostly aged 18 to 19, would be deployed "only on national soil".The announcement comes more than three and a half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine's borders."In the event of a major crisis, parliament may authorise calling upon individuals beyond just volunteers," Macron added, and military "service would become mandatory"."But aside from this exceptional case, this national service is a service of volunteers then selected to meet the needs of our armed forces."France's top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar at home last week by warning that France must be ready "to lose its children", adding that Russia is "preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries".He said it was inspired by fellow European countries."At a time when all our European allies are making progress in the face of a threat that affects us all, France cannot remain idle," he said.The new scheme would include 3,000 volunteers from the summer next year, then increase gradually so as to incorporate 10,000 young people into the army by 2030 and 50,000 by 2035, Macron said.The large majority would be men and women aged 18 and 19, while the rest would be aged up to 25 and would have specific qualifications.While around a dozen states have some form of conscription, the use of military service is uneven across Europe.But France joins European countries such as Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania which have brought it back in recent years, while others such as Denmark have toughened its terms.There is so far no suggestion that the military service in France would be compulsory, as it was before then-president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997 as part of the reform of the army.Military service is seen as a way of bolstering armies with recruits, but also of providing a large pool of potential reservists, who could be called up in the case of a future war.The French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.Accused of warmongering by the left, General Mandon has expressed no regret over his comments last week, saying the aim was to "alert and prepare" in a "rapidly deteriorating" context.Mandon argued on Saturday that the reactions to his comments "show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population".Macron and other officials have been at pains to douse the outcry caused by the general's forthright comments and fears that French youth were heading for the front lines.The president on Tuesday said he needed to dispel any notion that "we are going to send our young people to Ukraine". 

President Emmanuel Macron is set this week to announce that France is restoring military service on a voluntary basis in the face of the growing threat posed by Russia, just under three decades after conscription was abolished in the country.The head of state is due to lay out the change on a visit to an infantry brigade in southeastern France Thursday, according to multiple sources familiar with the decision who spoke to AFP.The announcement will come more than three-and-a-half years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Macron and other French officials warning that Moscow risks not stopping at Ukraine's borders.France's top general, armed forces chief of staff Fabien Mandon, sparked uproar at home last week by warning that France must be ready "to lose its children", adding that Russia is "preparing for a confrontation by 2030 with our countries".Macron told the RTL broadcaster he would be announcing a "transformation of national service into a new form" Thursday, but did not provide further details.A source with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the plan is for 2,000 to 3,000 people to be trained up in the first year, aiming to increase those signing up over time to 50,000 per year.Macron warned that France should not show "weakness" in the face of the threat posed by Russia."If we want to protect ourselves, we French — which is my sole concern — we must demonstrate that we are not weak against the power that threatens us the most," he said.The use of military service is uneven across Europe.But France would join European countries like Baltic states Latvia and Lithuania which have brought it back in recent years, while others such as Denmark have toughened its terms.Military service is seen as bolstering armies with recruits, but also providing a large pool of potential reservists who could be called up in the case of a future war.The French armed forces have approximately 200,000 active military personnel and 47,000 reservists, numbers expected to increase to 210,000 and 80,000 respectively by 2030.The mobilisation on a voluntary basis could serve to meet the needs of "acquiring the mass" necessary for the armed forces to survive in the event of conflict, French land army chief of staff General Pierre Schill said earlier this year.There is so far no suggestion that the military service in France would be compulsory, as it was before then president Jacques Chirac abolished conscription in 1997 as part of army reforms.Germany's coalition government this week agreed on a new voluntary military service model, after weeks of wrangling over whether there should be a compulsory element like in Denmark, where both young men and women are called up in a lottery.Accused of war-mongering by the left, General Mandon has expressed no regret over his comments last week, saying the aim was to "alert and prepare" amid a "rapidly deteriorating" context.According to France's National Strategic Review for 2025, a document that is a cornerstone of official policy, France must "prepare for the possibility of a major, high-intensity engagement in Europe's neighbourhood by 2027-2030, coinciding with a massive increase in hybrid attacks on its territory".The reactions to his comments "show that this is something that was perhaps not sufficiently perceived in our population", Mandon said on Saturday.But ahead of Thursday's announcement, Macron and other officials have been at pains to emphasise that the comments by Mandon focused on the sacrifices made by the armed forces and there was no plan to send France's young to the front line."It is absolutely necessary, at least immediately, to dispel any confused idea suggesting that we are going to send our young people to Ukraine," Macron said Tuesday, adding that Mandon's original remarks had been "taken out of context".

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud discussed bilateral cooperation and issues of mutual interest with French President Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Monday. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the discussions also touched on the latest developments in the Gaza Strip and ongoing efforts to end the war and enhance security and stability in the Middle East. Both sides underlined the importance of immediately alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people, ensuring a complete Israeli withdrawal, and taking practical steps toward achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and French President Emmanuel Macron discussed via phone the outcomes of a virtual summit convened by Macron on September 15, focused on regional developments, including the Israeli war on Gaza and the blatant Israeli aggression against the State of Qatar. According to a statement from the Egyptian presidency, al-Sisi expressed appreciation for Macron's initiative to host the summit, which aimed to explore ways to de-escalate tensions across the region.During the call, al-Sisi also briefed Macron on the key outcomes of the emergency Arab-Islamic summit held in Doha. The two leaders discussed preparations for the upcoming "Two-State Solution" conference, scheduled for Sept 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly's high-level session in New York. Both sides underscored the importance of the conference as a pivotal step toward recognizing the State of Palestine, in line with the two-state framework and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.Al-Sisi welcomed France's recent announcement of its intention to recognize the State of Palestine, calling it a positive contribution to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He also urged countries that have yet to recognize Palestine to take similar steps in support of international efforts to end the conflict and promote regional stability.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, along with King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and President of the Arab Republic of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a video call with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer, and Prime Minister of Canada Dr Mark Carney.The call discussed regional and international developments, particularly the treacherous Israeli attack, in addition to a number of topics of common interest.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the Israeli attack on a residential headquarters in Doha, stressing that the attack was unacceptable regardless of its motive.The French President said in a post on X that the war in the region must not expand under any circumstance, expressing solidarity with the State of Qatar.

France's parliament on Monday ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron rushing to find a viable successor within the coming days.Bayrou had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresaw almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France's debt pile.In the vote in the National Assembly, 364 deputies voted that they had no confidence in the government while just 194 gave it their confidence. "In line with article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government," said speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.Bayrou became the first premier in the history of modern France to be ousted in a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence vote.The French presidency said in a statement that Macron "took note" of the outcome and said he would name a new premier "in the next days", ending any remaining speculation that the president could instead call snap elections.Macron will meet Bayrou Tuesday "to accept the resignation of his government", it added.Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron since his 2017 election but the fifth since 2022.Bayrou's ousting leaves the French head of state with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts over Russia's war on Ukraine war.But defending his decision to call the high-risk confidence vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly: "The biggest risk was not to take one, to let things continue without anything changing... and have business as usual."Describing the debt pile as "life-threatening" for France, Bayrou said his government had put forward a plan so that the country could "in a few years' time escape the inexorable tide of debt that is submerging it".Macron now faces one of the most critical decisions of his presidency over who to appoint as the seventh prime minister of an increasingly turbulent mandate.The Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government but it is far from clear whether such an administration led by a figure such as PS leader Olivier Faure could survive."I think it's time for the left to govern this country again and make sure we can break with the policies of the last eight years," Faure told TF1 television.Heavyweight right-wing cabinet ministers, such as Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, are trusted by Macron but risk being voted out by the left.Lower-profile options but who could find a centre-left consensus include Health Minister Catherine Vautrin or Finance Minister Eric Lombard.According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper, 64 percent of the French want Macron to resign rather than name a new prime minister, a move he has ruled out.He is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions.A left-wing collective named "Block Everything" is calling for a day of action on Wednesday, and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.The 2027 presidential election meanwhile remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far-right will have its best-ever chance of winning.Three-time presidential candidate for the National Rally (RN) Marine Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.Le Pen was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote -- unless overturned on appeal.But a Paris court said Monday her appeal would be heard from January 13 to February 12, 2026, well before the election -- potentially resurrecting her presidential hopes.Cheered by her MPs, Le Pen urged Macron to call snap legislative elections, saying holding the polls is "not an option but an obligation".

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani discussed with the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to strengthen them in a variety of fields.This came during a phone call His Highness the Amir received on Monday from President Macron.During the call, they discussed regional and global developments of common concern, particularly the situations in the Gaza Strip, the occupied Palestinian territories, Syria, and Lebanon.In this regard, His Highness the Amir and the French President underscored the importance of reaching an immediate ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, releasing hostages and prisoners, facilitating the entry of aid, and preventing the aggravation of the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip.The call also addressed developments related to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, with both sides stressing the need to intensify war cessation efforts.