Rome (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Span’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said thaty his government will meet NATO’s target of 2% of GDP on defence spending this year, much earlier than its previously self-imposed deadline of 2029.
U.S. President Donald Trump is urging NATO allies to boost military spending to 5% of GDP. The European Commission has suggested permitting member states to increase defense spending by 1.5% of GDP per year for four years without penalizing governments for raising their budget deficits.
Pedro Sanchez revealed a strategy to raise spending by 10.47 billion euros ($12.04 billion), emphasizing telecommunications, cybersecurity, and the acquisition of military equipment.
“This plan will help us meet (the target) in record time,”
Sanchez said.
“Spain will contribute to defending Europe.”
In 2024, Spain allocated only 1.3% of its gross domestic product to defence, making it the lowest among NATO nations. Sanchez’s proposal must secure congressional approval, but currently, his Socialist-led government lacks a majority there.
Will Europe unify under a common defense plan?
Moreover, a month earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for the creation of a European army to reply to “old imperialist impulses in Russia” and Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the continent during a talk to the Spanish parliament.
“It is time to create a European army, EU armed forces with troops from all 27 member countries, working under a single flag with the same objectives,”
He stated.
“This is the only way that we become a true union and guarantee a lasting peace in Europe.”
Sánchez’s call arises at a time when Spain faces significant pressure to boost its domestic military budget. The nation has one of the lowest military budgets among NATO members, and while the prime minister has promised to increase spending, his left-wing coalition partners are against any actions that could divert funds from social services and decarbonization initiatives.
