ZERO DRAFT IN THE LOW-COUNTRIES - THE FINAL SHIFT TO THE ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE

Belgium and the Netherlands were the first two countries in continenta l Europe to abolish conscription after the Cold War. Notwithstanding d ifferences in organizational practices, as well as in civil-military c ulture, decisionmaking in both countries was driven by the same motive s and followed a similar pattern. The twofold logic of much smaller ar med forces and new missions made the choice for an all-volunteer force almost inevitable. The ideology legitimizing the draft for so long ap peared to have lost much of its magic and most of its political suppor ters from left and right. While there is a general awareness that recr uitment will be vital for the success of an all-volunteer force, the p rofile of the new soldiers, in terms of motivation and representativen ess, has crystallized in neither country. ?his can be looked upon as a crucial civil-military challenge. Probably more countries than the tw o under review will face this challenge in the near future. Given the structural forces at work all over Europe, the case for conscription a nd its citizenship surplus value will be more and more marginalized. T he zero draft will become the rule rather than the exception, finalizi ng the long-term decline of the mass army.