EU proposes a defense spending boost with escape clause
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasized that the European Union must increase defense spending. She announced plans to propose an escape clause within the stability pact, enabling member states to boost their defense investments substantially.
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the President of the European Commission acknowledged that recent remarks from senior U.S. officials had caused confusion and concern among European security experts. However, she stressed the importance of responding with honesty rather than outrage. By focusing on the core message of these statements, she argued, it becomes possible to understand their origins and even identify areas of agreement.
Von der Leyen stressed that Europe needs to increase its commitment to security issues.
The head of the European Commission emphasized the need for Europe to contribute more to discussions, which requires boosting defense spending. To facilitate this, they proposed activating the escape clause for defense investments, enabling member states to substantially increase their military budgets.
On Wednesday, the head of the Pentagon, Pete Hegseth, supported President Donald Trump's idea to increase the NATO defense spending threshold to 5 percent. Von der Leyen emphasized that Europe must do more in terms of security: "I believe that when it comes to European security, Europe must do more."
Escape clause
This clause will allow the relaxation of rules regarding maintaining a budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP, enabling increased defense spending without the necessity of cuts in other budget areas. Poland was one of the countries that advocated for such an exemption.
