The M5s president, Conte, had asked to reach 2% of military spending only in 2030, the Grillini consider the 2028 compromise a victory but in reality that date was already established in an official government document …
The government majority wobbles on the military spending.
We are moving forward with the objective of 2% of GDP for investments in defense by 2028.
Italy thus honors the commitment to NATO to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP, mentioned in an informal agreement signed in 2006 by defense ministers and relaunched in 2014 at the summit of heads of state in Wales.
But it is on the timing of this passage that the majority forces clash. The temporal indication of the progressive increase to 2028 is a “compromise” between 2024 desired by the agenda presented by FdI and 2030 requested by the 5 Stars.
In reality this is not the case.
“The goal of 2 percent of GDP by 2028 is not the news of the last hour announced by Minister Guerini and that the five stars would like to announce it as a victory”, said the Undersecretary of Defense two days ago in a note. Forza Italia deputy, Giorgio Mule: “Guerini himself had already said it in November 2019. This has been repeated over time in every possible way and is also written in the long-term defense policy document”, concluded the undersecretary.
“Italy’s commitment to spend 2% on defense investments was made in 2014 and has been reaffirmed by all governments every year. From 2018 to 2021, expenses increased between 17 and 26%. The commitment is simply to confirm what has been done previously, and to confirm our commitments with NATO, absolutely ”the Prime Minister recalled yesterday. Mario Draghi, at the press conference.
“It is a goal that we must maintain with objectivity and realism”, reiterated Draghi.
The increase in military spending “confirms a work that has already begun, or the objective of a gradual growth in spending that began in 2019. A gradual growth that would strengthen our military capabilities and make Italy a credible player on the international level”, the Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini (Pd), underlined again on Tg1.
However, the Economic and Financial Document for the period 2023-2025 will be presented next week. In the Def there are no “specific indications on military spending” Draghi reported yesterday. THE DRAGHI-COUNT INTERVIEWS
During the week there were tensions in the majority over the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP.
In particular, the 5 Stars led by leader Giuseppe Conte fought in the parliamentary committees on the FdI agenda on the increase in military spending to 2% of GDP by 2024.
In particular, the former Prime Minister Conte had asked to to reach 2% of investments in defense only in 2030.
“The face to face of two days ago ended badly and yesterday it was the former premier who went up to the Colle to talk to Mattarella, but Draghi is in a hurry to close the dispute over numbers ”, summarizes the Corriere today.
President Draghi in fact postponed the decision of Minister Guerini for 2028. “And at that point a statement came out saying that the objective” of the M5s “was precisely 2028…”. Mario Draghi himself told it, answering a question during yesterday’s meeting with the foreign press.
“I am very satisfied that this agreement has been reached”, said Draghi, adding that he meant “a few words on the history” of the confrontation: “We met with President Conte who asked for an extension of the goal to 2030. I I said ‘No, you do what Minister Guerini proposed and decided’, that is 2028. Subsequently, a statement came out saying that this was precisely the request of those who did not want to increase military spending, so there is no ‘and disagreement… “.THE CLARIFICATIONS OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE GUERINI
Regarding the objective of 2% of GDP for military expenditure, the clarifications of the defense holder arrived yesterday.
“The commitment made at the headquarters Born in 2014 and reconfirmed by all the Presidents of the Council who have followed since then provided for the achievement of 2% of GDP for defense expenses by 2024. From the moment I took the lead of this department and even in these days I have always indicated both the need to respect the 2% target, and the gradualness with which to achieve it “, underlined Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini, interviewed yesterday by Ansa on the debate on military spending .
“From 2019 to today we have undertaken a gradual growth of resources both on the ordinary budget and on investments, which will allow us, if the upcoming budget laws confirm it, to reach the average spending of the European Union countries adhering to NATO and then, by 2028, the achievement of the 2% target ”, he added. THE NOTE FROM UNDER SECRETARY MULE
Therefore, the goal of 2 per cent of GDP by 2028 is not a compromise of the last hour, but rather a goal already presented by the Defense. As the Undersecretary of Defense and Forza Italia deputy, Giorgio Mule, recalled this week in a note. “Guerini himself had already said it in November 2019. This has been repeated over time in every possible way and is also written in the long-term defense policy document [Dpp]”, underlined the undersecretary. WHAT IS WRITTEN IN THE 2021-2023 DPP
Specifically, in the last 2021-2023 Defense multi-year programmatic document presented by Minister Guerini last August 4, we read: “The results of the Joint Force General Planning (PGI) give maximum centrality to the fulfillment of the First Mission (Defense of the State and national interests) and of the Second Mission (Defense of the Euro-Atlantic and Euro-Mediterranean areas) assigned to the Armed Forces, concentrating efforts to obtain, by 2026, a renewed ability to operate with high readiness through qualitatively adequate systems – if necessary in full autonomy and with maximum effectiveness in the geopolitical quadrant of priority national interest – as well as to meet, by 2028, the commitments undertaken within NATO to express “high end” capabilities,functional to the national contribution to Allied deterrence “.MILITARY EXPENDITURE INCREASED DURING THE GOVERNMENTS COUNT
Finally, to tell the truth, the gradual increase in the defense budget has already begun some time ago.
Specifically, Italy’s defense budget went from € 21 billion in 2018 to € 24.6 billion in 2021. That is when Giuseppe Conte was the one leading the executive. NO INDICATION ON THE DEF
Finally, “on the Def there is no specific indication of military spending”, President Draghi said yesterday. “The 2024 constraint – he explained – is a constraint that was actually taken as an indication and not as a goal and many EU governments have disregarded it. Italy has a level a little below Germany, a lot below France and the United Kingdom. We are around 1.4% but the goal of 2% is a goal to strive towards with continuity and realism. There is no surprise in this trendy lens ”.
