On Tuesday, The Centre Party called on Sweden to increase its defence spending from the NATO-recommended 2% to 3% of the country’s GDP less than a week after joining the alliance, Euractiv informed.
Calls for an increase in the country’s military spending came just a day after a flag-raising ceremony at NATO headquarters in Sweden, with the opposition Centre Party (Renew Europe) arguing that the goal should be a defence budget of 3% of GDP, rather than the NATO benchmark of 2%.
We want to increase Swedish defence funding to 3% of GDP by 2030 and invest a total of SEK 100 billion [€9.7 billion] in civil defence during the same period.
According to the party, the 2% benchmark is “reasonable,” but in the short term, defence spending should be even higher to ensure Swedish defence to the extent required by the international situation.
The Christian Democrats are also pushing for more investment in defence, wishing to see the establishment of five army brigades and an additional surface combat flotilla for the Swedish Navy. Only four army brigades are currently under consideration.
The Sweden Democrats, who support the current coalition, want to increase the defence budget to 2.5% of GDP and enshrine the 2% standard in the Swedish Constitution. Defence Minister Pål Jonson of the Moderate Party has agreed that defence spending should reach 2.5% of GDP.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, however, has expressed reluctance to allocate more money to the Swedish armed forces than is already planned for the coming years. The country would stick to its plan until it needed to change, he added.
Everyone will want more of everything, and I understand that.
The Swedish Parliament’s Defence Committee is discussing the form of Sweden’s defence after joining NATO and is due to publish a report in April. At the end of the year, the parliament will also decide how the Swedish defence system will develop and adapt over the next five years.
By the end of 2023, only 11 of NATO’s 31 members have met the 2 per cent commitment, although NATO’s Secretary General stated in February that seven more countries would reach the mark by 2024.
