Government works to increase resilience against military and hybrid threats

News item | 06-12-2024 | 16:00

With Russian aggression extending beyond Ukraine, something that was unthinkable for a long time has become possible: for NATO, and therefore our country, to become directly involved in a large-scale armed conflict. That conflict does not have to take place in the Netherlands, but if we are involved as a country or it takes place in the vicinity of the Netherlands, then we will also be a part of it. So we must be prepared for uncertain times. Social resilience and military preparedness provide not only effective defence, but also deterrence to Russia and other adversaries.

Therefore, the government has mapped out what is needed to be resilient against military or hybrid threats. Because while a solid foundation is already in place to strengthen resilience, it is not enough. The threat demands more from us. Moreover, a resilient society helps not only during conflict, but also when dealing with other crises, such as large-scale floods, a pandemic or the prolonged failure of vital processes. A letter sent by the government to the House of Representatives forms an important first step by clarifying what else is needed, known as the resilience assignment.

A resilient society and ready armed forces

The resilience assignment consists of increasing both social resilience and military preparedness.

Specifically, social resilience requires:

1. Protecting vital and other important processes in society;
2. A ready and resilient society;
3. Upholding Dutch democracy, the rule of law and government;
4. A resilient economy.

In addition, military preparedness revolves around:

5. Protecting and defending our own and allied territory;
6. Ensuring civilian support to the armed forces in the performance of military duty.

All departments involved

The coordination of the government-wide deployment and society-wide approach to increase resilience lies with the Minister of Justice and Security, the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security and the Minister of Defence. But all departments are involved on the basis of their own policy responsibilities. For example, in the fields of healthcare, transport and logistics, crisis management, food, energy, (tele)communications, migration, the economy, labour market or democratic rule of law.

Minister of Defence Brekelmans: "We are not living in a state of war in the Netherlands, but we are not living in peace any more either. In this grey zone, we need to defend against hybrid attacks and increase our military preparedness. We do this by investing more in our armed forces, but the Ministry of Defence cannot do it alone. In times of peace, the question is what the Ministry of Defence can do for society, but now we are also asking what society can do for the Ministry of Defence. We make the Netherlands secure together. During a war or crisis, it is incredibly important to keep the economy running and to ensure that the government doesn't collapse. This ensures that the Ministry of Defence can focus on fighting if that is needed. But it means that businesses and government bodies need to be consciously prepared to face disruptive scenarios. If we show our resilience and preparedness, it will deter Russia and China."

Minister of Justice and Security Van Weel: "We need to start a sprint now so that we as a society can absorb any shocks that are going to come. This requires something from everyone: government, organisations, businesses and residents. Businesses and citizens can also take precautionary measures. These include strengthening cyber security, back-up plans for energy networks, as well as purchasing an emergency kit. That way, we can prevent social disruption, unrest and economic or other damage as much as possible. It is also crucial to communicate what people can do themselves, so that we keep our society resilient. State actors may additionally seek to undermine our rule of law or harm the Netherlands through, for example, espionage, sabotage or spreading disinformation. We need to be resilient against that. Finally, it is crucial to maintain our earning power in times of scarcity, disruption and damage. Together, we need to become resilient to the threat we are facing.'

State Secretary of Defence Tuinman: "Because of the international security situation, resilience and preparedness must once again be front of mind. That is why we at the Ministry of Defence are working hard to strengthen military preparedness and our combat power. For this, we need more people, more resources and more space. We have to deliver. By working together, we can fulfil this ambition and protect what we hold dear."

Everyone participates

Security is one of the core functions of government, in which it is committed to protecting all groups in society. However, one hundred per cent security does not exist. It is important that citizens themselves take a role in this and empower themselves.

A solid, resilient society can handle shocks - no matter what comes our way. It is a society in which government, public and private partners, civil society organisations, knowledge institutions and residents are as prepared as possible for social disruption and have the capacity to resist, absorb and recover from it. The letter sent to the House of Representatives is the starting point of close cooperation and dialogue with society to shape the approach for the whole of society.

Audience survey NCTV: More concerns among residents as well

The autumn survey of the NCTV's risk and crisis barometer published today shows that residents of the Netherlands are also increasingly concerned about geopolitical and military threats and their consequences in the Netherlands. Over four in ten (42%) say they are concerned about this. In addition, there has been a marked increase in the percentage of people concerned about the cessation of vital processes, a possible consequence of military or hybrid threats. Residents also rate the likelihood of the event much higher than before the start of the war in Ukraine. Until spring 2021, this percentage was around 22%. In 2024, this had increased to around 60%. At the same time, three quarters (75%) of residents in the Netherlands say they have not yet taken any action to be better prepared for the consequences of risks and threats.

Follow-up

In the coming months, the resilience assignment will be given concrete shape by all departments, in cooperation with decentralised authorities and civil society stakeholders. The central question here is: how can each person contribute to achieving the resilience assignment we face as the Netherlands? Risk communication from the government about threats, what the government is doing about them, and the potential impact on our way of life, contribute to this. A supplementary letter to the House of Representatives will follow in 2025, containing the government's first concrete policy commitment to increase resilience. A national campaign will also start in 2025 to make Dutch citizens aware of the importance of resilience and what they themselves can do to be prepared for crises and threats in their own environment.

More information

Information on contemporary threats has been compiled in the web dossier 'Threats in the Netherlands' on the central government website. The website 'Think ahead' provides concrete options for action to better prepare for risks and threats. That includes a roadmap for taking concrete action, such as putting together an emergency kit.