Service National Universel
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President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron (; born 21 December 1977) is a French politician who has served as President of France and Co-Prince of Andorra since 2017. He was Ministry of Economy and Finance (France), Minister of Economics, Industr ...
implemented the Service national universel (; SNU), the General National Service, which has been optional for all male and female citizens aged 15 to 17 starting in 2021. This voluntary service lasts for a month and can be performed in both civil and military facilities. The aim of this civil conscription service is to convey French values, to strengthen social cohesion and to promote social engagement. As is emphasized, it is not a matter of reintroducing conscription. This service will finally replace the mandatory '' Journée Défense et Citoyenneté (JDC)'', the "Defence and Citizenship Day", that was established in 1998, after suspending
conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...
for the
military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...
.


Voluntary program

The basis of this voluntary service is to "increase the cohesion of the nation". For financial reasons, the service lasts one month only and is not compulsory. The draftees must wear uniform-like clothing, they have to hand over their mobile phones to their supervisors and are placed in collective accommodations far away from their home community. Half of the service is performed with civics and theoretical training. The daily routine follows a strict schedule: in the morning the anthem is sung at the flag roll call, and afterwards courses must be attended, such as a first aid course, an introduction to the written driver's license test, and learning rules of conduct in the event of a terrorist attack. The other half of the time has to be fulfilled with assignment in a non-profit organization, the
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
, the
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
, or a
fire department A fire department (North American English) or fire brigade (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), also known as a fire company, fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organi ...
.


Full implementation

From 2021 until full implementation in 2026, the SNU may become mandatory for all young citizens, although this possibility is currently denied by Macron. On 16 January 2025, the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
voted to cut almost the entirety of the SNU's budget, directing 80% of funds toward investment in sports and rendering the program unimplementable.


See also

* Civil conscription *
Conscription in France France was the first modern nation state to introduce universal military conscription as a condition of citizenship. This was done in order to provide manpower for the country's military at the time of the French Revolution (1789–1799). Conscri ...


References

{{Reflist Military history of France
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...