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Ann-Sophie De Steur <\/p>\n
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As European Union countries ramp up military spending, public support across the continent remains uneven. While the war in Ukraine, growing hybrid threats from Russia and uncertainties regarding U.S. commitments to NATO have galvanised policymakers, polls reveal a more complex picture of public sentiment and national priorities. This is A European Perspective* on defence in Europe.\n<\/p>\n
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May 21, 2025 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe should have listened better to Central and Eastern Europe,\u201d President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen admitted in a speech at the Globsec security conferenceExternal link<\/a> in Prague in August 2024. It was an acknowledgement of a blind spot in European security strategy\u2014one that many countries are now trying hard to fix. Europe, including Russia, is the region of the world where military spending increased the most in 2024, jumping by 17% to surpass its level at the end of the Cold War, according to the latest reportExternal link<\/a> by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).\u00a0 <\/p>\n Within the European Union, defence expenditure reached an estimated \u20ac326 billion in 2024, about 1.9% of the EU\u2019s GDP. This marks the 10th consecutive year of growth, with a substantial increase of over 30% compared to 2021. Notably, 23 of the 32 NATO member states met or exceeded the alliance\u2019s guideline of allocating at least 2% of GDP to defence spending in 2024. As tensions rise on NATO\u2019s eastern flank, the United States has renewed its call for allies to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP\u2014a demand expected to be a key focus of the NATO summit in The Hague this June.<\/p>\n Governments in the Baltic region have already expressed support for the proposal, with Estonia<\/strong>, Latvia<\/strong>, and Lithuania<\/strong> committing to increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP in the coming years, LSM reports.External link<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, Poland<\/strong> already allocated more than 4% of its GDP to defence in 2024. France, which is currently allocating 2.1% of its GDP to defence, expects an increase of\u00a0 over \u20ac3 billion annually under the 2024\u20132030 military spending plan. Germany<\/strong>\u2019s military spending increasedExternal link<\/a> by 28% in 2024 and Chancellor Merz vowedExternal link<\/a> in his first government statement to make the Bundeswehr the strongest conventional army in Europe. Finland<\/strong> began building a metal barrier along its 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, and Spain plannedExternal link<\/a> to devote \u20ac14 million to improve the equipment and working conditions of its defence forces.<\/p>\n NATO military forces during static display after \u201cExercise Steadfast Dart 2025\u201d at the Smardan Training Area, in Smardan, south-eastern Romania, on February 19, 2025. <\/p>\n DANIEL MIHAILESCU\/AFP <\/p>\n But how is civil society responding to this global trend? According to the Autumn 2024 Standard EurobarometerExternal link<\/a>, 33% of EU citizens believe security and defence should be a top EU priority in the next five years, placing it ahead of migration (29%) and economic issues (28%). This is a percentage, however, that masks significant national differences.<\/p>\n Uneven public responses<\/p>\n In frontline countries such as Lithuania (49%), Finland (48%), and Poland (46%), security and defence dominate public concern. In contrast, just 12% of Spain\u2019s population and 19% in Greece prioritise defence, focusing instead on employment, migration, and climate change.<\/p>\n External Content <\/p>\n According to F\u00e9lix Arteaga of the Elcano Royal Institute, Spain<\/strong>\u2019s historic neutrality and Cold War isolation shaped a culture wary of military investment. While public perception of the Armed Forces has improved since the end of General Francisco Franco\u2019s dictatorship, military spending remains low in public priorities. In early 2025, Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez vowed to reach NATO\u2019s 2% goal before 2029\u2014but \u201cnot at the expense of social policy,\u201d he said, stressing: \u201cWe are not going to enter into an arms race.\u201d<\/p>\n Similarly, in France<\/strong> \u2014 long seen as central to Europe\u2019s defence postureExternal link<\/a> \u2014 public unease is growing, as shown by Franceinfo\u2019s recent exchanges with its readersExternal link<\/a>. \u201cWe must not sacrifice our social model in the name of security,\u201d warned Prime Minister Fran\u00e7ois Bayrou, speaking during recent pension reform consultations. President Macron\u2019s announcement of increased defence spending caused alarm among opposition parties, who warned of cuts to other public budgets and demanded greater transparency.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in traditionally neutral Switzerland, almost half of the population would like to spend more money on the military than parliament currently allocates, SRF reportsExternal link<\/a>. And in Czechia, CT highlightedExternal link<\/a> that more than a third of respondents consider 2% of GDP per year to be ideal for defence spending, with a similar proportion willing to invest more. However, the idea of allocating 5% of GDP for defence is supported by only one in 20 Czech citizens.<\/p>\n Some 1,000 kilometres closer to the Russian border, the same initiative receives much wider support. A Lithuanian survey conducted by Vilmorus and commissioned by the BNS news agency revealed that 44% of respondents approved of the plan to invest 5% of GDP in defence, LRT reportsExternal link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Interviewed by RTBF for A European Perspective, Hadja Lahbib, the EU Commissioner for Preparedness Crisis Management and Equality, addressed these regional differences: \u201cA Spanish citizen may worry about heatwaves and fires; someone in Finland thinks of hybrid threats and pipeline sabotage. Perceptions differ, but all are valid.\u201d She argued that resilience across the EU\u2014whether toward cyberattacks or natural disasters\u2014requires coordinated investment. \u201cPreventing disaster is 10 times cheaper than reacting to it,\u201d Lahbib said.<\/p>\n Showing a united front<\/p>\n While a common EU army remains off the table, the European Commission stated its intention for a common defence of the EU\u2019s borders with Russia and Belarus in its White Paper for European Defence,External link<\/a> released in March 2025.<\/p>\n General Robert Brieger, Chairman of the European Union Military Committee, stressed the urgent need to reduce Europe\u2019s reliance on the US for security: \u201cThere are capacity gaps in European defence that need urgent attention\u2014air defence, drone defence, strategic transport, precision weapons,\u201d he said, in an interview with ORF. \u201cEurope has made progress, but it still relies heavily on US support in several key areas. The ambition is to be fully defence-ready by 2030.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacifist voices<\/p>\n Yet, amid the trend toward militarisation, pacifist voices are also growing louder. Across the continent, political figures and activists are raising concerns that the arms buildup could empower extremist movements and destabilise the European project itself. <\/p>\n \u201cThe pressure to buy additional weapons will only strengthen the far right, which could lead to the collapse of the European Union or at least its idea. In the Left, we have a clear position on this \u2013 even more weapons and the accumulation of military equipment will not lead to stabilisation and peace in the world,\u201d said Matej T. Vatovec of Slovenia\u2019s Left, <\/strong>quoted by RTVSLO.External link<\/a> <\/p>\n This sentiment is echoed by Vincent von Siebenthal, president of the organisation Left-wing Christians in French-speaking Switzerland, who argues that peace should be pursued through trade and dialogue, not through an arms race, SRF reportsExternal link<\/a>.<\/p>\n A demonstrator holds up a poster reading \u201cNo militarisation in the German constitution\u201d during a protest against a boost in defence spending in front of the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) on March 18, 2025 in Berlin, Germany. <\/p>\n RALF HIRSCHBERGER\/AFP <\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Germany, tens of thousands of people took part in traditional Easter marches for peace in April. Yet despite the turnout, some see signs of decline in the movement\u2019s broader influence.<\/p>\n In an interview with DWExternal link<\/a>, Olaf M\u00fcller, professor of philosophy at Humboldt University in Berlin, expressed concern that the pacifist movement in the country is at one of its lowest levels in decades, indicating a challenging environment for pacifist voices in Germany. \u201cI think the pacifist movement is demoralised, and one of the reasons is that if you take to the streets now against militarism, you are automatically suspected of playing Putin\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile in the Netherlands, the New Peace Movement saw a surge in memberships, according to NOSExternal link<\/a>. The group is organizing a counter-summit to coincide with NATO\u2019s June summit in The Hague, aiming to offer a platform for voices critical of Europe\u2019s current defence trajectory.<\/p>\n *A European Perspective is an editorial collaboration connecting European Public Service Media. Find out more hereExternal link<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reporting by Catherine Tonero and Eric Juzen (RTBF), Johannes Perterer and Hendrik Vervaeke (ORF), Sara Badilini (EBU), Alexiane Lerouge (EBU)<\/p>\n Additional content provided by AFP (France), BR (Germany), CT (Czechia), Franceinfo (France), ERR (Estonia), LSM (Latvia), LRT (Lithuania), RTBF (Belgium), RTP (Portugal), RTVE (Spain), Suspilne (Ukraine)<\/p>\n Sub-editor: Eoghan Sweeney (EBU)<\/p>\n Research and coordination: Jara Sizova (LSM), Sara Badilini (EBU), Luis Garcia Fuster (EBU), Martin Sterba (EBU)<\/p>\n Translation and edition for SWI swissinfo.ch: Anand Chandrasekhar Illustration: Ann-Sophie de Steur<\/p>\n A European Perspective has been co-financed by the European Union\u2019s Preparatory Action \u2013 \u201cEuropean Media Platforms\u201d<\/p>\n![\"NATO](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Picture-2.jpg\")
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Project Management: Alexiane Lerouge (EBU)<\/p>\n
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