NATO member states would need to invest 3.6 to 3.7 percent of their gross domestic product in defense to meet future military alliance goals. Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, said this on Monday during his first official visit to the European Parliament.
Currently, 2 percent is the lower limit, although not all member states achieve this. The Netherlands did not meet the standard for years under Rutte’s premiership, but has invested at least 2 percent in the armed forces since last year – in contrast to Spain and Belgium, among others.
5 percent
Last week, incoming American president Donald Trump noted that NATO countries should spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense, a percentage that the United States also falls far short of. Many analysts say that such a mega amount is politically and economically not feasible for almost all member states.
The question is therefore how seriously Trump, who regularly makes wild statements, has thought about the percentage. Some analysts think that the Republican is aiming high with this ‘opening offer’, which could possibly be negotiated down later.
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In 2023, 23 of the 32 NATO countries achieved the two percent standard, including the Netherlands for the first time. Rutte on Monday called this percentage “not enough” and said that “more than 3 percent” is needed. However, the Secretary General of NATO noted that joint purchasing of weapons and military equipment and investing in innovation could lead to a decline in defense expenditure in the longer term.
Safety
Rutte said he understands that for many countries, more money spent on defense means that less can be spent on social security, healthcare and pensions – things that threaten to become unaffordable for the Netherlands in the coming decades. “But it can make a big difference to our security,” said the NATO chief, who calls stronger defense his “top priority.”
Rutte had harsh words ready for opponents of more defense investments: “If we don’t do it, we will be safe now, but not in four or five years. So if you don’t, get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand.”
