On September 11 of this year, the Dutch Ministry of Defense presented a proposal for the so-called “Dienmodel,” a new framework for personnel mobilization. The government will have five levels of youth engagement at its disposal, which can be activated depending on how the security situation develops. The main advantage of the system is that, should the security environment deteriorate, it will not be necessary to pass new legislation each time – the necessary legal framework will be prepared in advance, and the government will be able to activate the appropriate level. This is intended to enable a faster response from the state while making it more difficult for potential opponents to overturn a decision that has already been made.

The Path to a Larger Army

The Netherlands, like most European countries, responded to the end of the Cold War by effectively abolishing mandatory military service. This took place in 1997, and since then the country has relied primarily on a relatively small professional army. However, particularly in light of the changing European security environment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, this model has ceased to be considered sufficient. There is broad consensus – particularly among right-wing and center-right parties, which formed the previous government and, with some changes, also the current one – on the need to increase the size of the armed forces and expand the pool of reservists who have undergone basic training and can be rapidly mobilized to defend the country if necessary.

Efforts to strengthen the military’s personnel have been evident in recent years not only through the development of the Dienmodel but also through the creation of new programs focused on training and recruiting reservists. A shorter option is the Nationale Weerbaarheidstraining, a ten- to twelve-week training program after which participants join the reserves. A longer option is the Dienjaar Defensie, which offers young people aged 18 to 27 one to two years of paid service in the armed forces. Both programs have so far attracted more interest than their capacity can accommodate. The “Dienmodel” is intended to supplement this voluntary system by enabling the systematic identification and recruitment of a broader group of young people and, in the event of a deteriorating security situation, to gradually involve even those who would not have joined the military on their own.

Five Stages from Voluntary to Mandatory Service

The scale, whose current form may not yet be final, includes five levels:

• a voluntary questionnaire and a voluntary response to a potential invitation,
• a mandatory questionnaire, though responding to the invitation remains voluntary,
• a mandatory questionnaire and a mandatory response to the invitation,
• a mandatory questionnaire, an interview, participation in the selection process, and a medical examination, while enlistment itself remains voluntary,
• all of the previous steps supplemented by selective mandatory enlistment.

The fifth and final level is to be reserved for situations posing an immediate threat to the state. The Netherlands is currently at the first level. Since last September, the Ministry of Defense has been sending a voluntary questionnaire to all young people who turn 17 that year, focusing primarily on physical fitness, education, future plans, and any willingness to serve in the armed forces.

However, moving to Level 2 will require new legislation that allows the government to make completion of the questionnaire mandatory. The government is already planning to adopt such a measure and makes no secret of its intention to expand the target group to include young people aged 17 to 27 in the near future. The reason is quite obvious: on a voluntary basis, only 8% of those surveyed opened the questionnaire and spent about five minutes filling it out.

Critics Warn of a Gradual Return to Mandatory Military Service

We still know relatively little about the new Dienmodel. The answer to one of the most important questions also remains unclear: what conditions will have to be met to advance to each level, and to what extent will this decision be left to political discretion? Opponents of the proposal, however, are already voicing their disapproval. In parliament, opposition comes primarily from parties on the left and progressive end of the political spectrum. While they generally do not dispute the need to increase the army’s personnel, they reject the mandatory conscription of young people and, in particular, the potential penalties for failing to fulfill the newly introduced obligations.

Young people themselves – those who could be directly affected by the Dienmodel – are also beginning to mobilize. At the end of September, a peaceful demonstration against militarization, organized in part by youth movements, took place in Amsterdam. At the same time, a nationwide youth strike was announced for November 20 to express opposition to “creeping compulsory military service,” as some protesters refer to the Dienmodel. The scale of the November strike may thus be the first significant indicator of how much social resistance Rob Jetten’s government will face when implementing the new system.