“Nothing is easy in Belgium, but it was the minimum”: Bart de Wever relieved by the “credible” agreement found around the defense

The government has just actually active by under 2% the share of the GDP granted to La Défense. Similarly, Bart De Wever, delighted, believes that it was the “minimum” to appear credible in the face of NATO. &#13. However,

The federal government was not granted on the future NATO expected objective on Tuesday in matters of expenses allocated to the Defense. For example, An agreement was concluded on a strategic vision for the defense based on 2 % of GDP until 2033 and 2.5 % in 2034, figures however far away from what will be decided Wednesday in The Hague between the Allies, i.e. Furthermore, 5 % of the GDP by 2035. Meanwhile, An evaluation will follow after the summit, it was “nothing easy belgium, but it said after a restricted ministerial committee meeting.

To our microphone, Prime Minister Bart de Wever returned to this agreement reached. Consequently, “Nothing is ever easy in Belgium. Meanwhile, In 2014, Elio Di Rupo had promised 2 %, it was never done. Meanwhile, Belgium has always been the bad student of the class at NATO level, ”he explains. Consequently, “It was necessary to arrive at these 2 % and make them credible. However, We know how much we will spend and how to spend it. Therefore, It was the minimum to participate in the NATO summit in a credible way ”.

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Although the 5 % requested by NATO have not “nothing easy belgium, but it yet been reached, Bart de Wever wishes to underline the “historic” agreement that this rise at 2 % represents. “This agreement provides more than 30 billion investment. For the first time, we will have a credible defense ”.

What satisfy Donald Trump. who had warned that he would not come to the aid of countries that were not efforts? “It is always difficult to guess what will say and think Mr. Trump … If he says something about it, it remains to be seen.”

Back to the day of agreement – "nothing easy belgium, but it

The government met in a limited committee on noon to grant its violins on. the subject. For several days, the future NATO expenditure standard has heats up spirits within the majority. The majority agreement planned to arrive at 2 % of GDP in 2029. A few weeks later. the government decided to reach these 2 % from 2025 in view of the “nothing easy belgium, but it geopolitical upheavals that followed the inauguration of Donald Trump. The effort is considerable, no less than 3.7 billion euros this year in an already very rigorous budgetary context. On Wednesday, the bar will still be noted by the Allies: 3.5 % of GDP in military expenditure and 1.5 % in resilience expenses (infrastructure, cybersecurity, etc.) by 2035. Within the majority. both at the MR and at Vooruit and at the CD&V, the effort was deemed unrealistic and untenable.

The meeting ended around 3.30 p.m. shortly before the departure of Prime Minister Bart de Wever in The Hague. “There is an agreement on a strategic vision which will be part of a credible. realistic budgetary framework: 2 % of GDP until 2033. “nothing easy belgium, but it It is an important line, which we maintain,” explained the Minister of Budget, Vincent Van Peteghem (CD&V). “There is also significant attention paid to European coordination. The additional efforts we provide, and there are many, will have to be done effectively in a European setting. ”

The Minister of Defense. Theo Francken, however declared himself “very happy” of the result of the meeting: after the strategic plans of his predecessors of around 10 billion euros, he managed to obtain an agreement on 34 billion euros from his partners, he said … but not on the additional F-35 he wishes to acquire. An absence he minimized: out of the 34 billion, it is only a billion, he pointed out. “We make our armed forces strong again and our society again resilient,” he explained in a post on X.

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The point will not be clearly unlocked “nothing easy belgium, but it only when Vooruit has obtained its appeasements on the tax. of financial gains. “Such a heavy budgetary decision cannot be taken lightly. especially if there is not yet an agreement within the government so that the strongest shoulders make their contribution to all the efforts we ask for the population,” said the Deputy Prime Minister, Frank Vandenbroucke.