Now Reading: Defense spending: Europe faced with the need to define its strategic future
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Defense spending: Europe faced with the need to define its strategic future
Defense spending: Europe faced with the need to define its strategic future
With a view to the next NATO Vertex at The HagueEuropean attention is focused on a crucial decision: the increase in military spending to 3.5 % of GDP over the next 7 to 10 years. A step that would mean an unprecedented transformation in the continent's defense structure and which, according to Italian General Pietro Serino, requires transparency, coordination and long-term vision.
A landmark investment that will impact future generations
According to the calculations presented by Serino, former Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, achieving such a goal would imply raising annual military spending from the current 34.4 billion euros (1.57 % of GDP) to 76.7 billiona progressive increase that would require the addition of no less than 4 billion euros each year for a decade.
In the face of this effort, the general insists on the the need for clear and democratic communicationThe Italian Parliament - and by extension, all European parliaments - should be involved in an in-depth debate on the reasons, destination and methods of implementation of this investment.
A real European pillar within NATO?
The second axis of reflection refers to the concept of "European pillar" within the Atlantic AllianceShould it be understood as the sum of individual contributions or as integrated European planning? The difference is key: the current model, based on the bilateral relationship between each country and NATO, limits the possibility of a common European defense.
Serino states that a prior coordination between European countrieseven beyond the EU, it would allow for more efficient integration between armies and foster a collaborative industrial base. This would not eliminate national sovereignty in defense, but it would open the door to a future common european foreign and defense policy with its own capabilities.
A balance between national sovereignty and collective efficacy
As Europe faces increasingly complex global threats, there is an urgent need to define a sustainable and coherent spending strategy with a common vision. In Serino's words, "empowering national armies under exclusive NATO control may strengthen the Alliance, but at the cost of perpetuating European dependence and slowing down the birth of a true common defense."
In this context, the future of the continent is at stake not only in budget figures, but also in key policy decisions on sovereignty, strategic autonomy and multilateral cooperation.
