Dutch Government Says Military Conscription Is Not the Plan but Remains Possible

The Dutch government hopes it will not need to reintroduce mandatory military service, but has acknowledged it cannot rule it out. State Secretary for Defence Boswijk made the statement in the Tweede Kamer during a debate on the defence budget.

"I hope that a mandatory call-up will not be necessary, but I cannot exclude it," Boswijk said.

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What the coalition agreement says

The question of conscription has become more pressing since the new coalition took office. The coalition agreement includes a provision for a selective call-up in the event the cabinet fails to expand the armed forces to 122,000 personnel within four years. Currently, including civilians and reservists, the total stands at around 80,000.

Selective means not everyone would be called up, but a specific group would be selected. The model being referenced is broadly similar to the system in Sweden, where a selective call-up already exists and young people who do not respond can receive a fine.

The step-by-step approach

Boswijk stressed that a mandatory call-up would not come immediately or without warning. The process will proceed in stages. A voluntary survey has already begun, to be followed by a compulsory survey. If that still produces insufficient recruits, the next steps would be a compulsory interview and a compulsory medical examination. "It goes in steps and we don't jump in one go from the basement to the attic," he said.

Boswijk added that if a genuine emergency arose, the timeline could compress rapidly. "If things do go wrong, we suspend that and do go in one go from the basement to the attic," he said, referring to an immediate activation of the call-up obligation in the event of a war.

How conscription works in the Netherlands

The Netherlands technically still has conscription on the books. Dutch men and women between the ages of 17 and 45 are still registered for military service, but the Ministry of Defence no longer calls them up and there are no plans to do so. The obligation to report for duty was suspended on 1 May 1997, when the Netherlands transitioned to a professional military. It was never formally abolished.

Since September 2025, all 17-year-olds have been sent a second conscription letter inviting them to fill in a questionnaire, showing them options for working at Defence and indicating what might suit them best.

Voluntary recruitment and the Máxima effect

Boswijk said he believes voluntary recruitment can be sufficient and that the government plans to broaden outreach to groups not yet considered. Queen Máxima's decision to become a reservist has led to an increase in enlistment applications, according to Boswijk. He said he hopes a culture will develop in which people want to contribute, and that he has no interest in unmotivated conscripts.

The Defence Ministry aims to have 100,000 people in service by 2030, with a longer-term target of 122,000 militairy personnel. To train more people, Defence has shortened training times so recruits can join the military sooner. By 2029, the armed forces aim to train 9,000 recruits per year, including professional soldiers, reservists, and service year personnel.

Opposition concerns

Several opposition parties raised concerns during the debate. GroenLinks-PvdA, SP and Denk expressed serious concerns about the coalition's plans for a selective call-up. GroenLinks-PvdA asked what the plan would mean for young people and whether they would face prison for not showing up. SP suggested young people would be forced onto the heath for war exercises whether they wanted to or not, while Denk warned of young people being forced into the military without motivation.

Boswijk said he would work out the details of the selective call-up in the coming period and hold talks with opposition parties to make the case for its necessity.