THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Dutch military has got a new high-profile volunteer as it seeks to boost recruitment to counter growing fears about peace and security in Europe.
Queen Máxima, the 54-year-old Argentinean-born wife of King Willem-Alexander, started training this week to become a reserve member of her adopted homeland’s army as the Dutch military seeks to boost enlistment amid geopolitical turmoil and Russia’s war in Ukraine on Europe’s eastern edge.
“Because the security of the Netherlands can no longer be taken for granted, Máxima has decided to become a reservist,” the Ministry of Defense said in a statement after she began training on Wednesday.
The Royal House issued a statement saying that the queen, “like many others, wants to make a contribution to that security.”
Máxima is following her own daughter into the military. Crown Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, completed her basic military training last month as a volunteer reservist in the army.
Royals across Europe have a tradition of enlisting. Five years ago, Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the Belgian throne, signed up to do a year in military school in Brussels to help her prepare for her royal duties. Her father, King Philippe, also attended the Royal Military School in central Brussels.
The incoming Dutch coalition government that is expected to be sworn in later this month has unveiled plans to boost the nation’s military to 122,000 staff. Ministry of Defense spokesperson Klaas Meijer said Thursday it is currently at 80,000 including military personnel, civilians and reservists like Máxima.
He said enlisting was Máxima’s choice, “but we are of course very proud that she is doing this and hope that other people will think, ‘hey, this is something I could do.’”
Queen may be deployed when needed
A series of photos taken by a defense ministry photographer as Máxima started training at a military academy in the city of Breda were released Wednesday by the House of Orange. In one, Máxima, her left eye squeezed shut, grips a pistol in both hands as she takes aim. In another, she’s hanging onto a rope in front of a rock climbing wall. Another snap shows Máxima, barefoot, wearing green overalls and blacked-out ski goggles jumping into a swimming pool.
The defense ministry says her training will comprise “all the practical and theoretical military components necessary to become a reservist. These include physical resilience, self-defense, marksmanship, map reading, and military law.”
Once the queen has completed her training, she will be given the rank of lieutenant-colonel and will “deploy wherever needed,” the Royal House statement said. Reservists are generally deployed for tasks in the Netherlands, but have occasionally also been sent overseas on a voluntary basis, said ministry spokesperson Meijer.
Europe wants to attract more military recruits
The Netherlands is not alone in seeking to beef up its defenses against a backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine and U.S. reservations about the NATO alliance. The incoming government plans to introduce what it calls a “freedom contribution” for citizens and businesses to help foot the growing military bill.
Lawmakers in European powerhouse Germany have approved a government plan to attract more military recruits as the country tries to boost the ranks of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about the threat posed by Russia.
France unveiled a new program in November that is meant to bolster the country’s armed forces by training thousands of volunteers aged 18 and 19. The program will start with 3,000 volunteers to be selected next summer and will gradually increase to 10,000 per year by 2030. France has ambitions to reach up to 50,000 volunteers per year by 2035.
At a Paris naval conference this week, the Dutch navy chief, Vice Admiral Harold Liebregs, and counterparts from the U.K. and U.S. spoke of success in boosting recruitment and retention of much-needed personnel — in part because of growing concerns about threats to Europe’s security.
“Something happened in Europe. We have been struggling with shortages of personnel for a couple of years but now for the first time in years we see that (the) retention rate is pretty OK,” Liebregs said. “Recruitment and influx is also picking up … People are really willing to join the navy.”
He attributed the turnaround in part to the introduction of a program that enables volunteers to join the armed forces for one year, giving them a first taste of service and initial training.
Last year, Denmark sought to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery.
And Dutch neighbor Belgium has just reactivated two military brigades as part of a wider drive to boost defenses.
Moves to recruit new military personnel are sure to put strain on existing defense budgets across Europe — although they also will push governments toward a NATO spending hike they approved at a summit last year.
“It’s good, it’s a difficult path,” especially because it requires financing and other resources, Retired Gen. Jean-Paul Paloméros, a former head of the French Air Force, told The Associated Press after France announced its plans. “But nevertheless I think it was needed somewhere to make sure that the young generations understand that freedom and peace are not taken for granted and it doesn’t come as a free lunch.”
