Spain, NATO’s lowest defence spender relative to its economy, is facing both political and public resistance as it attempts to meet European calls for increased military funding.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and growing concerns that US President Donald Trump could withdraw security commitments that have safeguarded Europe for decades have caused alarm across the continent. ALSO READ: EU leaders commit to strengthening military power after Trump signals that Europe must defend itself.
In 2024, Spain allocated just 1.28% of its GDP to defence, according to NATO statistics – well below the alliance’s 2% benchmark and the lowest among all member states.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently assured his European allies that Spain is prepared to accelerate its defence spending as EU nations rush to rearm in response to potential US disengagement. ALSO READ: ‘EU faces clear & present danger’, as it unveils €800 billion plan to ‘ReArm Europe’.
However, his efforts to rally support domestically have highlighted the challenges ahead.
This week, Sánchez met with leaders from nine political parties to discuss increasing the military budget following his announcement that Spain would expedite its plans to reach NATO’s 2% GDP target.
His minority coalition government faces significant hurdles, as it lacks a parliamentary majority and relies on the backing of various separatist and regional parties to pass legislation, as well as far-left groups.
Catalan pro-independence parties and the Basque nationalist groups remain opposed to strengthening the military and increasing defence funding, while left-wing factions have historically been critical of NATO and US foreign policy.
Sánchez, leading the eurozone’s fourth-largest economy, heads the socialist PSOE-led coalition government alongside Sumar, the left-wing umbrella group, whose founder is Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, who also opposes raising military spending.
Following a meeting this week between Sánchez and Díaz on the contentious issue, a PSOE spokesperson sought to ease concerns, assuring that ‘the welfare state will not be eroded’ to accommodate higher military funding.
On Wednesday, Ione Belarra, of the hard-left Podemos party, also dismissed the notion of supporting increased defence expenditure, stating they would not help the socialists in ‘licking the boots of the United States’.
Meanwhile, tensions between Sánchez’s government and the right-wing opposition People’s Party (PP) make a bipartisan agreement on the issue unlikely.
After a Thursday meeting with the prime minister, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo criticised Sánchez’s approach, asserting that he lacked a concrete plan and that any increase in spending should go through Parliament.
‘A government that hasn’t been able to govern under normal circumstances is hardly prepared to face an extraordinary situation like this,’ Feijóo said.
Sánchez’s struggles to push through even less divisive policies are evident – his government is still operating under the 2023 budget, having failed to secure enough votes for a new one.
The prime minister has yet to specify a timeline or strategy for reaching the 2% target but has repeatedly stressed that his government’s social programmes will not suffer as a result.
Pressure from European and NATO leaders has mounted, especially after Trump questioned the US commitment to NATO and criticised European nations for not contributing enough to their own defence.
Trump has consistently called on other NATO members to shoulder a greater financial burden and has even floated the idea of raising the spending target to 5% of GDP.
‘Spain’s [contribution] is very low,’ Trump said in January when asked about the country’s NATO expenditure during an Oval Office press briefing. ALSO READ: Trump mistakes Spain for a ‘BRICS’ nation and threatens 100% tariffs.
During a February summit in Kyiv with European leaders, Sánchez pledged an additional €1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, mirroring last year’s commitment. Spain’s Defence Minister Margarita Robles also recently reiterated the country’s support for Ukraine, highlighting that Spain has trained approximately 7,000 Ukrainian troops since Russia launched its full-scale invasion. ALSO READ: Western leaders visit Ukraine to show their support on war’s 3rd anniversary.
In his push for increased military investment, Sánchez acknowledged that Spain faces different security concerns than eastern European or Nordic countries.
‘Our threat is not Russia bringing its troops across the Pyrenees,’ he said on Thursday, referring to the mountain range separating Spain and France. ‘When we talk about Russia, it’s more a hybrid threat. It’s the threat of cyber attacks. So what we have to do is not just talk about defence, but fundamentally talk about security.’
Sánchez has sought to downplay internal divisions over defence spending within his coalition and has not ruled out using executive action to advance his plans.
Even if he opts for that route, Spain’s robust economic growth could complicate matters further. In 2023, the country’s economy expanded by 3%, outpacing all other major advanced economies and significantly exceeding the eurozone average of 0.08%, according to data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). ALSO READ: Spain tops economic rankings in weekly ‘The Economist’ magazine.
As a result, reaching the 2% GDP target would require an even larger absolute increase in military spending – a target NATO leaders have suggested could be raised further in the near future.
Public perceptions of the military in Spain have been shaped by history. The legacy of Franco’s 36-year dictatorship cast a long shadow over attitudes toward the armed forces. Although public opinion improved following Spain’s transition to democracy – especially with the military’s involvement in international peacekeeping and domestic emergency responses – this has not translated into widespread support for increased defence spending.
Spain’s historical neutrality in both World Wars and its relative isolation during the Cold War have also contributed to a distinct perspective on military expenditure.
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