Spain will allocate 2% of its GDP to defense, meeting NATO standards, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced today.
Sánchez stated that the government will increase the military budget by €10.5 billion to reach NATO’s 2% GDP target.
Spain spent the least on defense among all NATO members last year, despite earlier committing to meet NATO standards by 2029.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized Europe for underinvesting in its own defense, urging NATO countries to raise their defense spending to as much as 5% of GDP.
Facing what he described as an “era of change”, Sánchez declared it was time for Spain to take control of its destiny and contribute to Europe’s rearmament.
“If you had asked me years ago about my government’s investment priorities in security and defense, my answer would have clearly been different. Not because our values have changed, but because the world has changed,” Sánchez said.
