Portuguese defence minister Nuno Melo said the defence spending target of 2% of the country’s GDP would be met and was “already an important investment.”
An investment greater than this 2% will depend on a political decision involving the entire government, starting with the prime minister. As soon as the prime minister assumes or understands that growth should be greater than this 2%, we in National Defence will certainly have every advantage and the possibility of accommodating this greater investment.
He stressed that the 2% investment would be realised “by 2029.” However, prime minister LuÃs Montenegro said on Wednesday that such targets should be reconsidered “in the short term.” Montenegro referred to Poland, the future president of the EU Council, which currently spends 4% of its GDP on defence.
Nuno Melo also stated that spending had nothing to do with “war scenarios” even if “the geopolitical context justifies” a significant increase in budgets.
It has to do with peacetime. I think that the great advantage of the Portuguese Armed Forces is measured in times of peace. Investment in defence today has a dual-use perspective, benefiting the population. And our growth to 2% of GDP by 2029 will have this dual-use in mind, with an advantage in the military field if necessary, but mainly with peacetime in mind.
