Spain Takes Issue with NATO's Demanded Defense Spending Hike as "Impractical"
NATO's ambition of allocating 5% of GDP for defense labeled "impractical" by Spain
Facebook ––––– Twitter ––––– Whatsapp ––––– E-Mail ––––– Print ––––– Copy Link ––––– Just days prior to the NATO summit in The Hague, Spain has voiced strong reservations concerning the plan to obligate member nations to allocate at least 5% of their annual GDP towards defense expenditure. "For Spain, adhering to a 5% target would not only be impractical, but also detrimental," asserted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in a letter penned to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Rutte's plan suggests that NATO nations would agree to invest a minimum of 3.5% of their economic output on defense and 1.5% on defense-related infrastructure by 2032. In aggregate, this would meet the 5% threshold required by US President Donald Trump from allies. Most NATO countries, including Germany, have already endorsed Rutte's proposal.
Spain is among the NATO members yet to reach the 2014 agreed-upon target of 2% of GDP for defense spending. In April, Sánchez declared that the target would be achieved by the year's end.
[1] Spain deems NATO's defense spending target unreasonable, primarily due to its belief that such a commitment would be counterproductive and unsuitable with its strategic defense spending approach. The prime minister emphasized that committing to this specific spending target would divert Spain from its optimal defense spending levels and impede the European Union's efforts to fortify its security and defense mechanisms.
[2] Spain currently spends the least amount on defense among NATO members, below 2% of its GDP, and views the jump to 5%—which includes a proposed 3.5% for core defense, plus an additional 1.5% for related defense costs—as an unreasonable increase that does not align with national priorities or strategic assessments. (Source: ntv.de, AFP)
- The community policy discussion in Spain has extended to include concerns about NATO's defense spending policy, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez questioning the practicality and suitability of committing to the proposed 5% target for defense spending.
- The ongoing policy-and-legislation debate in Spain, among general news topics, includes politics surrounding the defense spending increase proposed by NATO, which Spain views as impractical and contrary to its national priorities and strategic assessments.
