Flag of Spain on soldiers arm.
Spain was blasted by the EU for its defence spending.
Credit: Shutterstock, Bumble Dee
Brussels bigwigs have had enough of Spain dragging its feet on Defence spending – and they’re pointing fingers straight at Sumar. The left-wing coalition, led by Yolanda Díaz, is proving a major roadblock to ramping up military investment, much to the frustration of NATO and the EU.
‘Spain must do more,’ says Brussels
The EU is turning up the heat, with sources bluntly stating, ‘Spain has not done enough so far. Going forward, it must do more.’ The message is loud and clear: Madrid’s current plan to reach 2% of GDP by 2029 is far too little, far too late.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is losing patience. Pointing the finger at underperforming nations – with Spain right at the bottom of the list, spending just 1.29% of GDP – he warned, ‘If you don’t react to my calls, you might get a call from a very friendly man in Washington… who may have less patience.’ That ‘friendly man’ is none other than Donald Trump, and he’s already demanding that Europe digs deeper into its pockets for defence.
Europe’s new military money rules
The EU isn’t just talking tough – it’s preparing new rules that will force member states to up their military spending. Brussels is set to introduce a ‘national escape clause’, allowing governments to pump cash into defence without it counting towards their budget deficits. The catch? Each country will have to foot the bill itself, exactly what Spain’s government was hoping to avoid.
Pedro Sánchez and his ministers are desperately pitching alternative plans, from issuing EU-wide Defence bonds to dipping into the European Investment Bank’s pockets. There’s even talk of using frozen Russian assets – an idea floated by Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares and backed by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
“Sacrifices must be made” – Rutte’s blunt warning
Brussels doesn’t care how Spain finds the cash – just that it does. Rutte has already suggested that pensions and healthcare budgets might have to take a hit to free up funds for Defence. ‘Sacrifices must be made,’ he declared back in January.
The situation is now so dire that The Economist has singled out Spain, warning that its reluctance to boost military spending is as damaging as Hungary’s outright obstruction of European defence efforts.
EU turns its focus to security
If there was any doubt that defence is now the EU’s top priority, Valdis Dombrovskis – the Commissioner for Economy, Productivity, and Simplification – made it crystal clear. Speaking at a Brussels event, he listed ‘security’ as one of the Commission’s absolute priorities.
‘It’s obvious now that we can no longer rely on the US for Europe’s security,’ he warned, confirming that the EU is pressing ahead with plans to relax fiscal rules to allow more military spending. ‘This is our direct response to the events of recent weeks,’ he added ominously.
With a crunch NATO summit looming in June, the pressure is only set to rise. Spain’s days of sidestepping military spending are well and truly over – and Brussels is making sure they get the message loud and clear.
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