Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken has proposed creating a specialized, militarily trained rapid-response unit dubbed Rijkswacht 2.0
to tackle severe urban violence, drawing sharp criticism from local mayors and criminologists over strategy following recent riots in cities like Liège and Brussels.
The proposal, announced by Defence Minister Theo Francken during an interview on RTL-TVi, aims to establish an operational reserve trained by the military but placed under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior (Nieuwsblad). According to Business AM, the new mobile unit is designed to provide military-level support during serious urban crises, filling a security gap left behind when the original Rijkswacht was disbanded.
On January 1, 1992, the former Rijkswacht was decoupled from the Ministry of National Defence and placed under Interior and Justice, before eventually merging into a unified police force on April 1, 2001 (Nieuwsblad). Francken argues that modern police forces struggle to maintain order against rising urban aggression, pointing to recurrent holiday violence, arson, and attacks on emergency personnel (Business AM). Francken referenced recent unrest on the sidelines of protests in France and specifically Liège, stating that safety must be reinforced when riots occur (Nieuwsblad). He noted that bende-gerelateerde activiteiten, drugsgeweld en demografische veranderingen in bepaalde stedelijke centra have fostered a street culture that is no longer entirely under state control (Business AM).
Interministerial Coordination and Dual Mandate Plans
Cabinets across Defence and Interior are actively discussing how to structure the collaboration (Nieuwsblad). Minister of the Interior Bernard Quintin confirmed the ongoing talks (Nieuwsblad). Francken and Quintin plan to submit a formal joint proposal to the government in the coming weeks (Business AM).
To protect our Jewish community, we are deploying military personnel to support security on our streets. The safety of every citizen must be guaranteed.Antisemitism and hatred against Jews will never be tolerated. We will stand firm against it, always.
Under Francken’s vision, the new unit would possess a dual operational scope. During domestic unrest, the personnel would assist civil authorities, but in a geopolitical conflict with a foreign adversary like Russia, they would pivot under military command (Nieuwsblad). Prime Minister Bart De Wever is reportedly briefed on the plans and has held active discussions with the ministers (Nieuwsblad). Francken also described Russia as the biggest threat to Belgium’s security during the Euronews Defence Summit in Brussels, warning that Europe faces a dark winter of hybrid attacks and urgently needs stronger air defences and scaled-up production capabilities (Euronews).
Political and Criminological Pushback in Brussels
Local leaders and academic experts immediately challenged the necessity of a militarized reserve. Brussels Philippe Close (PS) rejected the proposal as "nonsense" (VRT, Source 2).
