The NATO summit in The Hague will be remembered as the one where Europe pledged military spending 5% of GDP, bowing once again to Washington’s demands. A decision that has provoked anger, concern and resistance, particularly from progressive forces and certain governments, such as that of Spain.
Military spending 5% of GDP: an objective deemed unreasonable and counter-productive
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez did not mince his words. In a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, he denounced the 5% target as “unreasonable” and “counter-productive”. For Sánchez, “committing to a 5% target would not only be unreasonable, but also counterproductive, as it would distance Spain from optimal spending and hamper the EU’s current efforts to strengthen its security and defence ecosystem”. He also warned against the risk of sacrificing the welfare state and social and climate investments in favour of rearmament.
Manon Aubry and the European Left: “I refuse to let the French have to sacrifice themselves”.
The European Parliament’s reaction was just as firm. Manon Aubry, MEP for La France insoumise and co-chair of The Left group, roundly denounced the logic imposed by NATO and the United States:
“I refuse to accept that French men and women should have to make financial sacrifices to finance the war, that they should have to work until the age of 70 or sacrifice their social protection. […] We are asking the French people to make social sacrifices, but we never ask the richest people and our country’s major multinational companies to contribute.
For Manon Aubry and the group The Left, this militaristic headlong rush is a direct threat to social justice and European cohesion. They denounce a political choice that favours the interests of the arms industry and NATO over the real needs of the people.
A divided Europe, an artificial unity
Far from the image of a united Europe, the summit revealed deep divisions. Some countries, like Germany, are struggling to keep up with the pace set by Washington, but promise to get there. Others, like Spain, refuse to sacrifice their social model on the altar of militarisation. For Pedro Sánchez, devoting 5% of GDP to defence would mean “higher taxes for the middle class” and “cuts in public services and social benefits”, a scenario that is unacceptable to the European Left.
This new alignment with American demands illustrates once again Europe’s unhealthy dependence on NATO and the United States. Rather than building a European defence capable of meeting the challenges of the 21st century, the European Union is locking itself into a logic of following, to the detriment of its own priorities: ecological transition, social justice, industrial sovereignty.
What’s next?
The NATO target of military spending 5% of GDP has become a turning point for Europe. Will the EU continue to sacrifice social justice and climate priorities for militarisation, or will it build an independent security model rooted in peace and solidarity? The answer will define the credibility of the European project for years to come
