€10 million to put soldiers on Belgian streets

Deploying soldiers on the streets of Belgium has cost the government €9.58 million already this year, according to figures reported in Le Soir. Between 200 and 300 Belgian soldiers were put to work in civil roles between mid-January this year and the end of September

The figures emerge from a study of the defence budget carried out by economist Wally Struys, emeritus professor at the Royal Military School. The bulk of the cost must be met by the Interior Ministry, with only logistics and command and control charged to the Defence Ministry.

According to Le Soir, the military likes this domestic deployment, known as Operation Homeland, because it builds bridges with the public and creates a positive image of the army. However it is concerned that committing soldiers to civil work disrupts training and may reduce the army's ability to respond to crises abroad

These fears are exacerbated by planned cuts to the defence budget introduced by the present government.

Photo © Eric Vidal/Reuters/Corbis