News item | 13-06-2025 | 16:05
The cabinet intends to support NATO’s proposal to spend 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) per year on defense and to spend 1.5% of GDP per year on broader investments in relevant spending such as social resilience and infrastructure. Prime Minister writes that today in a letter to the House of Representatives. It is expected that the percentage will be reached at the NATO summit in The Hague with all the allies.
Prime Minister Schoof: ‘With a war on our continent, our safety is no longer a matter of course. It is therefore inevitable that we invest more in our own defense. The NATO alliance is indispensable. The Netherlands takes its responsibility in this. “
The NATO allies will continue to talk about the precise definitions, the interpretation of the defense-relevant editions and the desired time path in the coming period.
A step has already been taken for the 2026 budget; Next year, the cabinet will spend 2.2% of GDP on Defense including support for Ukraine. It is up to the next cabinet to give substance to the objective in the following period and to always make an integral weighting compared to other expenses.
On Tuesday, June 17, the House of Representatives will debate with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defense on Dutch commitment to NATO TOP. The Netherlands is host of the top, which takes place in The Hague on 24 and 25 June.