The Dutch armed forces need to expand from 74,000 personnel to 100,000 in the near future, junior defence minister Gijs Tuinman has told a television talk show.

Tuinman, a minister on behalf of the pro-countryside BBB, admitted that it is currently difficult to recruit sufficient new army, navy, and air force personnel but said, “we must scale up to 100,000 people.”

The exact total will be published in the summer when plans to upgrade the entire organisation are finalised. The ministry currently has a shortfall of tens of thousands of personnel, as well as instructors to train new recruits.

Currently, some four to five thousand people sign up every year, but by 2029, the ministry hopes to scale that up to 9,000.

It also has high hopes for the “service year” project introduced in 2023 which offers youngsters the opportunity to gain experience in the armed forces for a year. Of the first class of 650 participants, 80% have opted to sign up or remain working part-time for the ministry.

Tuinman also said he had no intention of bringing back military service to fill the gaps. “I need people who want to [serve],” he said. “I don’t need conscripts. Perhaps if the global escalation [of conflicts] hits a new phase, but not yet.”

All Dutch citizens between 17 and 35 are registered to be conscripted for military service in an emergency, but the obligation to report for duty was scrapped in 1997.

The defence ministry currently has a budget of €22 billion, but €800 million remained unspent last year.