Dutch parliament backs plan to train citizen reservists for emergency response

A majority in the Tweede Kamer endorsed a motion from the CDA to grow a citizen reserve that can assist police, the army and emergency agencies when large-scale crises occur. Volunteers would receive instruction in three specialisations - technical work, logistics and security - to act as a backup force during the first three days of an event. The programme, which has already trained about a thousand participants at private expense, seeks government support in the form of access to defence training sites and classrooms rather than direct funding.

Karen van Oudenhoven-van der Zee, director of the Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau, explained that the plan aims to boost public resilience against threats such as war, climate-related disasters and supply disruptions. She noted that post-World War II confidence in handling emergencies has eroded, especially after the COVID-19 crisis, and called for a shift in focus from purely military spending to societal preparedness.