Newly-appointed Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) has outlined plans to reinstitute a form of military service in Belgium.
In an interview with RTL, Francken outlined plans to send letters to 120,000 young Belgians in November inviting them to a "voluntary" military service.
The new 'Arizona' coalition first set out the plans in its government agreement published on 31 January. The early plans detailed a form of voluntary military service, akin to a system already in place across the border in France.
According to new details shared by the minister, the programme will encourage young people, aged between 18 and 25, to volunteer to join the Belgian Army, where they will acquire specialist training and new skills. The recruits will serve as reservists and receive a salary of around €2,000 per month, the minister announced in the interview.
Francken hopes that the programme will encourage young people to remain within the ranks of the army and boost the number of professional soldiers. "This project aims to increase the size of the Belgian Army and to raise awareness among the population about current geopolitical changes," he explained.
According to the plans, 120,000 young Belgians will receive an invitation to sign up for voluntary military service. Selection tests would begin in April or May 2026. The first generation of recruits would start their service in September 2026.
In the early phase of the new programme, the number of places for military service will be capped at 500, but the Defence Minister indicated that this could be raised, subject to demand.
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Francken, a Flemish nationalist politician and a fierce advocate for greater military spending in Belgium, is leading a campaign to modernise the Belgian Armed Forces and revitalise the country's defence industry. Belgium has promised to raise defence spending to 2% of GDP by 2029, in line with NATO commitments, and to 2.5% by 2034.
The new Defence Minister has created a new Defence Fund to help finance further investments in the army. The funds will be used for strategic purchases such as new F-35 fighter jets and munitions. Funds will also be invested into the Walloon and Flemish defence industries.
