Belgian PM on NATO's defense budget: 'the question is not how much, but how'
The Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has announced to NATO members that Belgium is working to "realign" the "defense efforts with European non-nuclear NATO allies".
"The question is not how much we spend, but how we spend," he remarked on Tuesday 14 June evening to his partners.
During the meeting at the Catshuis in The Hague (Netherlands), the Belgian PM highlighted three issues that are important to him. Firstly, De Croo considered "it's time to tackle fragmentation" and work towards better integration, as it's "already happening between Belgium and the Netherlands". The second challenge is to strengthen the European defense industry. Finally, the third issue is more societal feedback, in terms of cybersecurity and “better protection" for business and education.
In his statement delivered at the end of the meeting gathered to organize NATO's summit to be held in Madrid from June 28, De Croo confirmed Belgian support for the Atlantic alliance.
“NATO is stronger, more unified and more solid than ever. (…) And solidarity is attractive, with Sweden and Finland applying to become part of our alliance."
Belgian debate
De Croo introduced the idea of raising Belgian investments for Defense by 2035. He attaches conditions to it, such as a more efficient distribution of tasks at European level and a better social return.
The defense budget discussion in Belgium is scheduled to take place at the Belgian Federal Parliament this Wednesday afternoon, June 15, at the House Defense Committee. The Reformist Movement (MR) pleads to reach the 2% and tabled a resolution in the House. Environmentalists are reluctant.
De Croo expects to attend NATO summit in Madrid at the end of the month with a clear Belgian agreement on this subject, so that Belgium follows the path taken by several other European Union member states which, prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have decided to release additional funds for Defense.
(VIV)
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© BELGA PHOTO (Sem van der Wal / ANP / AFP)
From left to right: Latvia's Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa and Romania's President Klaus Johannis in front of the Catshuis in The Hague.