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Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is to appoint a committee this month to prepare solid plans and costings for the scheme. It will report back next spring to allow time for the first trials to begin in 2019. Once up and running the universal national service scheme will cater for 600,000 to 800,000 18-21 year olds each year.

It was a campaign promise of Emmanuel Macron, who estimated it would cost €2-3 billion. However this figure has been disputed. National service was scrapped by Jacques Chirac in 1997.