Another NATO member has said it could follow some of its allies by introducing military service. The Netherlands’ state secretary for defence Derk Boswijk said he cannot rule out the prospect of Dutch citizens being drafted as Amsterdam looks to bolster its armed forces.

The country’s new minority government has opened the door to reintroducing “selective” call-ups if it fails to expand its military to 122,000 troops within four years. The detail was included in the government’s coalition agreement published last month and comes after similar moves by nations such as Germany and France to combat manpower woes amid rising tensions. Mr Boswijk said that while he wants to avoid this, it may have to happen.

“I hope that a mandatory requirement will not be necessary, but I cannot rule it out,” Mr Boswijk told the lower house of the Dutch parliament earlier this month.

Political opponents voiced concern over the plans during the debate but Mr Boswijk suggested he was confident it wouldn’t be required.

He said he hopes a culture where people are “eager to do their bit” will emerge, adding he has “no desire” for demotivated people to serve.

Mr Boswijk said he believes enough people will come forward voluntarily and that Queen Maxima’s decision to sign up as a reservist has led to a rise in applications. He stressed any mandatory call-up would not come immediately or without warning and that it would be in stages.

Seventeen-year-olds in the country are already receiving surveys, asking them about topics including work ambitions and what area of defence may appeal to them the most.

This is currently voluntary but is set to be made mandatory in the near future. If this fails to gain enough recruits, then compulsory interviews and medical examinations could be introduced.

“It is happening in steps, and we are not jumping from the basement to the attic all at once,” said Mr Boswijk, according to NOS.

Local reports say the “selective compulsory military service” detailed in the coalition agreement would only see specific groups drafted if it was to go ahead. The Dutch military, including civilians and reservists, currently stands at around 80,000 personnel, meaning it needs to increase by around 50% to hit the 122,000 target. Conscription technically still exists for 17 to 45-year-olds in the Netherlands but nobody has been called up since 1997.

However, the Ministry of Defence has stressed it has no plans for conscription and that the focus is on developing an Armed Forces based on those who choose to serve.