Compulsory one-month National Service for 16-year-olds
- In the French State, the one-month Universal National Service will be compulsory for 16-year-olds and anyone wishing to do so may extend the service for a further three months (or longer) until they reach the age of 25. The newspaper Liberation and the radio station Europe1 anticipate this government’s intention to revive the French sentiment.
In order to strengthen the link with the Republic, the Government wants citizens to feel “part of the French nation”, to achieve a “more resilient society”. To this end, the one-month stay will be divided into two parts, according to the aforementioned media. During the first two weeks, among other things, young people will have to set up a collective project in contact with different associations. And in the next two weeks, they will receive civic education, first aid and/or speeches from representatives of the French Army, among other actions.
The Government plans to apply the National Service to half of the young people by 2022. The initiative will have a start-up budget of 1.7 million euros and will require an annual expenditure of around 1.5 million euros to maintain it. The main focus is the Ministry of Education.
