Belgium is preparing to borrow more and implement painful cuts to reach Nato’s current defence spending goal, but will struggle to meet an increased target likely to be agreed after pressure from Donald Trump.
Belgian budget minister Vincent Van Peteghem told the Financial Times that bigger defence budgets would take a toll on Europe’s welfare systems. Nato leaders are likely to agree in June to raise military budgets to more than 3 per cent of GDP, following the US president’s threats to no longer protect European countries that spend insufficiently on their own security.
“Defence definitely requires our full attention, but so does also the sustainability of our welfare state,” Van Peteghem said.
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