The new Belgian center-right government under Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie) wants to invest considerably more in defense and is planning the largest investments in defense since the end of the Cold War.
According to the coalition agreement, by 2029 NATO 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) is to be made available for defense, as requested by NATO. By 2034, this expenditure should already amount to 2.5% of GDP.
The focus will probably be on additional new equipment, more operating resources and an increase in military stocks.
Self-commitment until the summer
Defense Minister Theo Francken has now presented his plan, which envisages a noticeable increase in armaments spending – from eight to twelve billion euros. This would enable Belgium to achieve NATO’s two percent target, albeit initially only on paper.
A quick calculation: Belgium will record a gross domestic product of just over 600 billion euros this year. Two percent of this actually corresponds to the planned twelve billion euros.
This voluntary commitment must be cast in concrete by summer at the latest. Because the grace period is over. Belgium has so far been one of the most tardy members of NATO in terms of defense spending, but has not really had a guilty conscience about it.
Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said: “Our allies are fed up and have reached the end of their tether. The two percent target is now an absolute must.”
Various threats are in the air
There are already rumors that Belgian representatives could be left out of the next NATO summit. Worse still: as the newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports, NATO has even been thinking aloud about withdrawing one or other of its agencies from Brussels and relocating them to another country. Clearly, the fun is over.
It is largely undisputed, even within the coalition, that Belgium has to commit to spending two percent of GDP on armaments in its budget by the summer. But where to get it, if not steal it? Belgium is under observation by the EU Commission. It has initiated a deficit penalty procedure. The federal government must submit its budget roadmap by April at the latest.
