Spain Stands Firm Against Proposed NATO Defense Spending Hike Ahead of The Hague Summit
NATO's aim of achieving a defense spending increase of five percent is deemed inapplicable by Spain.
Madrid - Spain is flexing its muscles against NATO's proposed surge in defense spending to five percent of GDP. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a letter to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, expressed his government's stance, as confirmed upon request. The letter, reported by state TV RTVE and other media outlets, states that such a spending increase would be "unreasonable" and "counterproductive."
Sánchez's letter comes as no surprise given Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares' emphasis in late May, during a joint press conference with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul (CDU), that Spain's defense efforts already outpace many others in the alliance, *and the existing NATO target of two percent of GDP remains a realistic goal.1**.*
Moving Forward, Mistakes Averted?
While Spain's current military spending hovers around 1.3 percent of GDP, making it one of the NATO laggards, the left-wing government has announced an intention to reach the two-percent target by this year itself.2**.* However, this leap requires Madrid to shell out an additional 10.5 billion euros, nearly 50 percent more than before.2**.
Spain's Defense Minister Margarita Robles deemed NATO's plans "a big mistake," arguing that the process should prioritize capabilities over a predetermined percentage.2**. She also emphasized that setting a percentage first and then determining capabilities is backward.
Hidden Concerns Under the Spotlight
While Spain actively seeks exemption from the new NATO defense spending pledge championed by US President Donald Trump, its fundamental concerns lie in the financial burden, geopolitical alignment, and feasibility of the proposed target. Chief among these:
- The economic strain of raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP would necessitate billions in additional spending, potentially leading to increased taxes, higher debt, or cuts to other budgets.1**.
- Geographically, Spain is situated far from NATO's eastern flank where the perceived threat from Russia merits the steep increase less.2**.
- Spain, alongside countries like Belgium, Italy, and France, struggles to meet even the previous NATO goal of 2 percent of GDP, reinforcing the view that the 5 percent leap would be unrealistic and politically challenging.1,2**.
- The global security context remains shaky, given US-driven issues such as tariff wars, which complicates the economic landscape for NATO members like Spain.1**.
In essence, Spain's reluctance to toe NATO's line on defense spending stems from a sense of economic instability, strategic misalignment, and potential hampering of European defense cooperation outside NATO.1,2**.
***Footnotes:
[1] Spain resists NATO plans to boost defense spending
[2] Madrid: Russian threat justification for NATO defense build-up is a 'big mistake'
Despite Spain's intentions to meet the existing NATO target of 2% of GDP for defense spending, the proposed increase to 5% of GDP is cause for concern due to its potential financial burden, geopolitical misalignment, and feasibility challenges. These concerns have been highlighted as Spain debates its stance on the proposed NATO policy-and-legislation regarding defense spending and politics, which is under scrutiny in the general-news.
