The Netherlands is considering a significant expansion of its military forces, with plans to potentially increase its defense personnel from 75,000 to 200,000, according to reports by Dutch public broadcaster NOS on Friday.
Currently, the Ministry of Defense employs about 75,000 personnel, including military and civilian staff, and maintains a reserve force of around 8,000. However, Gijs Tuinman, State Secretary for Defense, reportedly mentioned the 200,000 target during a recent closed-door meeting with labor unions and ministry officials.
In January, Tuinman acknowledged the Defense Ministry's plan to expand the armed forces by at least 25%, aiming for 100,000 active personnel. While Tuinman has rejected the idea of mandatory military service, he emphasized the voluntary recruitment program and the new "service year" initiative, which allows young people to work in defense roles for a year.
Although mandatory service is still technically in place, it has been suspended since 1997, and citizens are no longer obligated to serve unless necessary for the nation's security. Some experts, however, have expressed concerns about the voluntary recruitment strategy, suggesting it may not be enough to meet the ambitious target.
Dick Zandee, a defense analyst at the Clingendael Institute, argued, "The ambition is good, but there has to be a plan." He suggested that mandatory service might be needed to reach such a significant increase in defense personnel.
Jean Debie, chair of the Union for Civil and Military Defense Personnel, also warned that conscription could be gradually reintroduced if voluntary recruitment proves insufficient.
The Netherlands is reportedly looking at Sweden as a model, which reintroduced conscription in 2017 in response to growing security concerns in Europe. The move comes amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as calls from US President Donald Trump for EU countries to take more responsibility for their own defense.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied any intention to attack NATO countries, dismissing the idea as "complete nonsense."
Source: RT/BNN
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
