Italian
Europe is at a crossroads, and Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear: it’s time to review the rules of the game. During the Munich Security Conference, the President of the European Commission proposed excluding military expenses from the constraints of the Stability Pact. A move that could redesign the economic and security policies of the Union, but what does it mean in concrete terms?
BRUSSELS. The Stability and Growth Pact is a set of rules that requires European Union countries to keep the public deficit below 3% of GDP and the debt below 60%. It’s like a guardrail, designed to prevent public finances from veering off track. But there’s a problem: when a crisis hits, adhering to these limits can hinder countries from making strategic investments.
In the past, the EU has “relaxed” these rules by activating the safeguard clause, a sort of emergency button that allows Member States to spend more without being sanctioned. This happened, for example, during the pandemic to support the struggling economy.
Now, von der Leyen proposes to do the same with military spending: to exclude it from deficit calculations, allowing countries to invest in defense without breaking budget constraints.
Why now? Defense takes center stage
The war in Ukraine and the unstable geopolitical context have made one fact clear: Europe can no longer afford to rely on the United States for its security. And there’s another number that carries weight: the EU spends 2% of GDP on defense, but the target is 3%. A difference that translates into hundreds of billions of euros more each year.
Von der Leyen, with her distinctive pragmatism, clearly states: “If we want security, we have to pay for it. And to pay for it, we have to change the rules.”
Reactions: between applause and criticism
The Italian Government, led by Giorgia Meloni and Minister Crosetto, approves the proposal. Rome has long been asking for defense expenses to be excluded from the Pact, in order not to have to sacrifice crucial sectors such as healthcare and education. For them, it is a political victory and a breath of fresh air for public finances.
The opposition, especially the Greens and the Green-Left Alliance, have a completely different view. For them, increasing military spending means taking resources away from healthcare, welfare, and ecological transition. In short, more cannons, less bread.
The importance of a militarily independent Europe
The positions expressed by Donald Trump, who reiterated the concept of not protecting non-compliant NATO members, underline a crucial theme: Europe must strengthen its military independence.
Currently, NATO relies on significant investments, with the United States contributing around 722 billion dollars per year, while all other allies together spend less than half. Italy, for example, allocates about 29 billion. This disparity not only limits European autonomy but also concentrates decision-making power overseas. An increase in military spending would ensure greater security and influence in strategic decisions.
Investing in a stronger Europe militarily does not mean replacing NATO, but rather strengthening the European pillar of the Alliance. Being more independent means being able to defend one’s interests without being bound by US political dynamics. Greater military capacity also means more political weight in international decisions.
