Now that the Dutch armed forces are struggling with a screaming shortage of personnel, it is time to reintroduce conscription. That says Christen Democrat leader Wopke Hoekstra. He argues for compulsory military service, whereby 18-year-olds can choose to join the army or do social service.
Hoekstra makes his remarkable proposal today at the CDA party congress, one and a half months before the provincial elections. He wants about 200,000 young people to join the armed forces or opt for social service every year.
According to the CDA Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the war in Ukraine 'has forced us to face the facts'. “Security, democracy and a strong society are not free, that is a hard lesson,” says Hoekstra.
It is not the first time that the CDA advocates compulsory service. But because of the war in Ukraine and the 'lack of solidarity in the Netherlands', Hoekstra believes it is now necessary to take 'a step further'.
