Spain says it is on track to meet NATO’s defense spending target of two percent of GDP this year, reversing earlier plans to hit the target by 2029.
According to AP News, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a $12 billion increase in military funding on Tuesday, allocating it to areas such as telecommunications, cybersecurity, personnel salaries and new troop recruitment. The prime minister cited the need to adapt to a “changing era” and argued that Spain must be more assertive in Europe’s security and rearmament.
Sánchez acknowledged that his government’s priorities have shifted. He noted that although his stance on defense investment would have differed years ago, the evolving international environment has made such spending necessary. The premier added that the budget increase would bypass parliamentary approval.
The country’s policy shift comes amid ongoing pressure from Washington, urging NATO countries to raise their spending to as much as five percent of GDP. Spain, which had the lowest defense-to-GDP ratio among alliance members last year, has faced criticism for lagging in its commitments.
Other NATO members, including Sweden, Belgium and Denmark, have also taken steps to ramp up spending.
The European Commission is also preparing to relax budgetary constraints to facilitate increased military spending across the European Union. Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said the commission will soon draft formal proposals to allow more flexible fiscal rules for defense.