Dienstplicht: moeten jongeren straks het leger in? | Vraag de expert

With the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East, defence and the future of Europe are popular topics in the media. In the Netherlands and Belgium, there is also increasing discussion about the state of the army and even the possible reintroduction of mandatory conscription. This is a topic that concerns many people. Today, we are taking to the streets to ask all your questions about the future of conscription to a defence expert. If a war breaks out, would you be willing to join the army? It depends on what kind of war it is. If it were something like World War II, then I might be willing. It really depends; if it were close to the Netherlands, I think I would do it. But, for example, I would not fight in Ukraine at the moment. If Belgium were at war, would you go fight? Definitively, yes. I would be there on the front line with my Kalashnikov. No. Why not? Well, I don't feel called to engage in a fight that I didn't choose. No. You really have to love your country and feel that duty. But I don't think so. Yeah, me neither. Maybe for my own country, but for Belgium... You really need to be connected to a country to be able to fight for it and give your life for it. You know what I mean? A war like in Iraq or something, I wouldn't be willing. I wouldn't be prepared to do that. So, would you be willing to fight on Dutch soil but not outside of it? I think so, but it's easy to say now. No. Why not? Because I'm not strong enough for that, you know? Uhm, I think so. Yeah, it depends, I think. But I think so. Yes, definitely. Yeah, no, that's very simple. Why are you so convinced about that? Yeah, I come from a family where everyone has served. I have considered it myself. But in the end, I made other choices. But if a war breaks out that threatens the Netherlands, or at least NATO, then I see myself called to it. Is there a question you would like to ask an expert about this? My name is Dick Zandee, I work at the Clingendael Institute and I lead the program on security and defence there. I have had a very long career as a civilian servant at the Ministry of Defense. But I have also worked at NATO in Brussels. I have also worked at the European Union in Brussels, and I've been at Clingendael Institute as a researcher for about eleven years now. Well, what is then the difference between conscription and call-up duty? Conscription, as the word suggests, means you have the obligation to serve. In this case, it would be in the Dutch armed forces. However, in the 1990s, we put a brake on this by saying: you don't have to report for duty. And that's actually the call-up or turnout duty, which has been deactivated. This means that all young people in the age category of 17-18 no longer need to show up, but they remain legally obligated to serve, but this would only be activated in exceptional circumstances. I have a question, there are some things that exempt you from conscription, such as being autistic. Is that also the case with ADHD? If someone has a certain illness or anything like that, then of course in the process of... if there were a call-up obligation, all of that would be examined. Because in the past, when I had to serve, I was medically and mentally examined, and those kinds of elements come to light, and if they are serious conditions, then probably such a person would ultimately not have to report for duty. How can you make conscription more appealing to students? Right now, there's a year of service, but how can we ensure that conscription isn't seen as something negative, but more as part of your upbringing in the Dutch system? Yes, in my opinion, integrating conscription better into society would involve not only applying it to the armed forces but also to other important public sectors in our society. I'm thinking particularly of two sectors that also face chronic staff shortages. Firstly, healthcare, where the shortages are only expected to increase in the coming years. And secondly, education, where shortages are also expected to rise in the coming years. So, if you were to reintroduce conscription, you could imagine making it a civic service rather than just military service, where young people could choose either. I can imagine some might say: "I don't want to serve in the military because I'm against violence." Well, that's fine, that’s someone's opinion, but I do want to serve in healthcare, which I think is something I'd be willing to do for a year or longer. So, instead of just using the term conscription, you could add "civic" and offer a kind of menu of choices. Oh, how did he feel when he was called up, what was the first thing that came to his mind? Well, I was conscripted myself. I already have grey hair, so that was a long time ago. That means I could also be called up now. I have to say, at that time, I was in my early twenties myself, and you didn't really think much about it then. It was something you just had to do, and you did it. Actually, you never had the thought in your mind that tomorrow there could be war and you might have to go to the front. We also lived in the situation of the Cold War back then, where the outbreak of armed conflict was not so likely due to the mutual deterrence that existed, and that was the general feeling in those days. Perhaps today it's different, because now we have a huge war taking place in Ukraine. It's a good day's drive from the Netherlands, and you're there. So, I can imagine that now it's more of a consideration than it actually was during the Cold War. Yes, I would like to know if there is currently research being conducted on residents within the Netherlands to determine if they are willing to serve in national defence, and also ensure that accurate information is provided about what exactly that entails for someone who will be serving. And on the other hand, if there are people who are not willing to commit themselves to that, whether there is also research into why they are not willing to serve. As far as I know, such research does not exist. I would greatly appreciate it if that were to happen, because then we would gain much more insight into how young people themselves think about it. Ultimately, it's about that group. Is there willingness? If there is no willingness, why not? What is that based on? And all of that is then important foundational information to make decisions on how to address personnel shortages in society. So, I think it's an excellent idea. I would fully support it. I hope you have learned something from the answers of defence expert Dick Zandee. What are your thoughts on conscription? Let us know in the comments!