Why is the Belgian army recruiting at a Flemish music festival for the first time?
For the first time, the Belgian armed forces set up a recruitment stand at a music festival — Suikerrock in Tienen — describing it as a useful opening to the recruitment season.
In 30 seconds
- The Belgian armed forces set up their first recruitment stand at a music festival, Suikerrock in Tienen (Vlaams-Brabant), according to Het Nieuwsblad.
- A recruiter described the stand as "nuttig met de start van het wervingsseizoen" — useful at the start of the recruitment season.
- Belgium is an all-volunteer force; conscription was suspended in the 1990s, so all personnel must be recruited voluntarily.
- The 2022 STAR plan aims to grow Defence toward roughly 29,000 personnel by 2030 and lift spending toward NATO's 2 percent target.
The Belgian Defence department (Defensie) placed its first-ever recruitment stand at a music festival — Suikerrock, held annually in Tienen, Flemish Brabant. Belgium's armed forces are an all-volunteer body since conscription was suspended in the 1990s, and Defence has run a personnel-growth effort under the STAR plan (2022). Named actors include Defence Minister Theo Francken (N-VA) in the De Wever federal government, former minister Ludivine Dedonder (PS) who launched STAR, the town of Tienen, and the Flemish peace organisation Vredesactie, a long-standing critic of military recruitment aimed at young people.
Background
Belgium suspended compulsory military service in the 1990s, becoming a fully professional, all-volunteer force. After decades of shrinking budgets and personnel, the 2022 STAR plan under minister Ludivine Dedonder committed to reversing the decline and moving toward NATO's 2 percent spending target — an agenda intensified after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and continued by the De Wever government's defence minister Theo Francken.
What to do
Belgians — especially young job-seekers — will increasingly encounter Defence recruiters in everyday, non-traditional settings. For the wider public it raises a live question about how visibly the military should court civilians as Belgium tries to grow its forces.
The Belgian angle
The event took place in Tienen (Vlaams-Brabant) and the primary audience is Flemish, but Belgian Defence recruitment is a federal matter affecting young people across the country, not just Flanders.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 official document · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 9 Aug 2026
- Publication date unavailable
- Retrieved by ODIN:
- 9 Aug 2026
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